Embers of Hope
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: Salem's heart died long ago with her children. It had turned cold and black, like the Grimm she commanded. All that remained were the faded embers of Hope. Tiny, forgotten feelings, wasted sentiment she had no need of. She needed nothing. No one. Or so she thought. Until she found him. A single whim on her part just might bring the world together. Narutoxharem? You decide !
1. Embers of a Prologue

**A/N: Yes, this is short. Sorry for that.**

**Because I'm scared.**

**Tests didn't come back good and now I'm off to get a CT scan as well as bloodwork and all kinds of nasty stuff done to me that likely involves a hospital stay. I...have the feeling that something might be wrong. So. Here I am. Writing this just before I go in, because I am bloody TERRIFIED. The doctor took one look at me and all demanded I go the hospital. Appointment's in an hour or so. Probably going to be staying there for a few days at that, given how weak I am. My fingers got restless, and I wanted to at least say SOMETHING before I vanish off the face of the earth.**

**I think I'll stick to crossovers in the future. At least there I won't be eviscerated for saying hello.**

**This story...may or may not have a pairing. Its something unique.**

**And Naruto's role, for this IS the Naruto we all know...**

**...may not be what you expect.**

_"In all my lifetimes, I have discovered three powerful emotions in this world._

_The first is joy. That unparalleled feeling of bliss and hope and strength. Brightest and sharpest of them all._

_The second is sorrow. Misery and tears have often moved armies and nations alike, swayed the hears of bitter enemies._

_The third would be hate. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned; that there is no greater enemy than that of a former friend. They'd be right."_

_~Ozpin._

**Prologue**

"Bwah."

That single, solitary sound, stole Salem's soul.

It wasn't even a real word that finished her off; more a gurgle really, a tiny pitiful mewl begging for her undivided attention. That, or perhaps food. She couldn't be sure. Still the immortal woman found herself undone by it all the same. She was the Mother of All Things Grimm. Terror incarnate. Mortals feared her. Men and women alike wept when they heard her name. Grimm everywhere bowed to her. Ozpin and his Inner Circle feared her very presence. And yet, Salem had no more hope of vanquishing this menace than she did of defeating the Gods themselves.

The Mother of Grimm looked left.

The Mother of Grimm looked right.

Finally, the Mother of Grimm looked down.

Much to her chagrin, the blasted baby was still there.

Bright blue eyes gazed back at her from within a tiny, whiskered face.

"Where did you come from?" she muttered crossly, making a shooing motion as though to banish a bad dream. "Go on now, shoo."

Much to her chagrin, baby most assuredly did not "shoo." It stayed right where it was, transfixed by her. At least the blasted brat wasn't crying anymore. That was what had woken her in the first place. Salem scowled at it and the infant actually had the temerity to giggle. Giggle! At her! What manner of trickery was this? Ozpin's doing perhaps? No. Her lover had been many things in the past, but not even he would be so cruel as to leave a starving child on her doorstep wrapped in swaddling cloth and left for dead. Which begged the ancient question:

Where.

The Hell.

Did he come from?!

Who in their right mind would bring a child to her doorstep?! In the badlands no less! It was a miracle that he hadn't been eaten alive by some wild Grimm!

Upon further inspection, she realized the ground beneath the boy was scorched black Well. Blacker than usual. Curious. A ritual gone wrong perhaps. Or perhaps some other ghastly secret that she didn't understand? Nor was he unprotected. A pale blue cloth cocooned its body. There was even a name stitched into said blanket, one her keen eyes instantly discerned. Na~ru~to. She sounded it out, rolling the syllables around on her tongue. Not the name she'd have chosen for a child. Bah. Whatever the case, the origins of this tiny pink creature didn't matter, she supposed. His fate was still sealed.

She tentatively nudged the bundle with a boot; unfortunately, this startled the child and it began crying again.

No. Salem would have none of that noise.

"CEASE!" she snarled loudly.

To her disbelief, it did.

Unfortunately, the Mother of Grimm miscalculated in her anger; for the reprieve she received proved as brief as it was poignant. Then it cried even louder. She grit her teeth against the sound and weighed her options as she stared down at the squalling infant. The sensible thing to do would be to kill it. This was no place for a bawling brat. If she couldn't stomach doing the deed herself, then surely one of her many minions would be more than happy to do it for her. Tyrian perhaps. He would feel no guilt from such a fiendish act.

Or if she were feeling merciful, she could simply have Watts deposit him at an orphanage somewhere.

Yes, that sounded sensible. This was no place for a child.

And yet.

_And yet,_ the longer Salem stared at this tiny pink creature, the less certain she became. He was still crying and try as she might to ignore it, something in her dead heard twitched at the sound. Perhaps it was a shame to snuff out a life so young. He could be a useful pawn. She began telling herself such lies to soothe her conscience, to deceive herself. No one else knew of the boy. No one would dare to question her. She could do with him as she pleased...couldn't she?

Abruptly, she realized the boy had stopped crying.

Oh, he was still whimpering, but he'd simply lost the strength to continue carrying on in such a state. The whimpering made it worse; made her feel as though _she _were the villain here. Well, she was, but still! Gods knew she was a touch out of practice these days, but Salem was no stranger to children nor the art of raising them. She'd reared four girls, after all. Before. In happier times. Her heart had been warmer then. Before _his _betrayal and all that had come after. Before-

"No." she hissed the word to herself as much as the dead air and clamped down on that thought before it could consume her.

But it would not be denied.

A whim wriggled to the forefront of her mind, blotting out all else until finally, her arms betrayed her. She looked left. Looked right. Made utterly certain that no one would see what she was about to do. After a moment's hesitation, she awkwardly reached down and plucked the infant off the blackened earth. His whimpers ceased immediately. Wide, wondering eyes gazed up at her until she pressed him into her shoulder and began to rub the small of his back. Right, then. She could do this. Small, quick steps, retreat swiftly to her quarters, then-

Then he started drooling on her.

Salem twitched. "Stop that. Right now."

The drooling only continued as it had before.

Salem absolute twitched. "I hate you. I really, truly do."

She didn't. Not really. Not truly. Nor did she know how much she'd changed her fate.

**A/N: You aren't ready for the chaos I just unleashed.**

**As a future note, Salem's going to have her hair down in all future chapters. Just looks better. Trust me. Now then.**

** Well.**

**That just happened.**

**NOW BEFORE YOU START!**

**This isn't going to be one of those Naruto-raised-by Salem and he's pure evil stories. Nor will this be one of those stories where he defects and joins the good guys because of a moral crisis or some bloody bleeding heart. This is going to be a mad hybridization of the two. How, you ask? Well, I COULD explain it to you, tell you all bout the five chapters I've already written out and all...but I think I'll just let the previews do the talking for me. **

**Don't believe me?**

**The previews speaks for themselves.**

**Soooooo in the Immortal Words of Atlas...****Review, Would You Kindly?**

**They keeps me alive. Without them, I'll just vanish into the void. Poof. Gone.**

**(Preview)**

_...what are you doing here, Ozpin?"_

_For that WAS Ozma standing in her door. At least, the latest incarnation of that cowardly bastard. His bespectacled gaze shifted to the tiny bundle in her arms while his own...carried a parcel of some sort. What the devil was he up to this time? Her surprise jumped up another notch when he pushed said parcel into her arms. It contained...diapers, of all things. And formula. Clothes, too. Aghast, she awkwardly accepted them with her free arm. Someone snickered in the background. She swore to kill whomever it was. Later. When she wasn't holding the boy._

_"I'd heard the rumors, but I had to see it for myself." her heart lurched painfully at tenderness in her old lover's words. "You're actually taking care of a baby."_

_"How did you know?"_

_His eyes twinkled. "A little bird told me."_

_Qrow was dead. Oz was dead. THEY WERE ALL DEAD. __Before she could absolutely EVISCERATE him, the headmaster hastened onward._

_"I would like to propose a truce." Ozpin began delicately, choosing his words with great care as though his very life depended on it. "Regarding that boy."_

* * *

_"A truce. With Salem."_

_To his credit, Ozpin didn't bat an eyelash. "Albeit a temporary one."_

_Ironwood, however, all but roared and shook him like a tree. "HAVE YOU GONE MAD?!"_

* * *

_Cinder scoffed. __"Bah! Weak, the lot of you! Look at him! Brat's not even five and half you're already wrapped around his little finger! Salem's swooning over him! Tyrian wants to teach him to MURDER people! Watts, you gave him a math book just this morning! Hazel was trying to unlock his aura earlier for crying out loud! Well! I for one will not be swayed by this little HELLSPAWN-_

_"Cin-duh." Naruto lisped, pointing in her direction._

_Her head snapped around with an audible crack. __"DID HE JUST SAY MY NAME?!"_

_Watts groaned and slapped five lien into Hazel's awaiting hand. "Take your damn money."_

_Neither man batted an eyelash when Cinder bolted back to the boy's side and crushed him against her bosom._

_One of them did complain, however._

_"Lucky little shit..._

**FINAL NOTE:**

**Yup. Oz realized he can't destroy Salem. So he's gonna do his darndest to save her. **

**R&R~!**


	2. Mama Knows Best

**A/N: Little bit of seriousness here, but mostly humor. Also, a bit of verbatim.**

** Well. Doom Eternal's coming out tomorrow apparently. Everyone's only been waiting for it since FOREVER.**

**...I'm not going to get many reviews for awhile, am I. Understandable, I suppose. I can't possibly hope to compete with that.**

***sighs in defeat***

**Well, here we are. My schedule got screwed up on Tuesday, but seeing as I updated yesterday, I'm going to keep it going daily as things stand. Thankfully I've only lost one job due to the madness of the you-know-what, but the other's staying strong.**

**Also, if folks keep ragging on "Just A Bit of Bread" or "The Darkest Choice" I'm not going to write them anymore. Just putting it out there. Some weren't happy with the changes I made, but to go so far as to threaten me? Seriously?**

**Don't wish me death over it, jeez!**

**Furthermore, this is getting compared to White Sheep, and in a good way. Meep. Didn't expect that.**

**Thankfully this story will soon veers off from the path taken by that particular tale. Wanna do something different.**

**You know, it really seems like people are losing their mind these days. I get that the you-know-what virus is bad and all here in the States; sometimes it feels like the world's about to end. I get that its causing panic, but c'mon! We've survived far worse than this, and I know in my heart that the world -all of us!- will get through this just the same. Hang in there guys and gals. I _know_ we can get through this. Strange as it may sound, I have faith in humanity.**

**Just as I believe in each and every one of you.**

**Now then, brace yourself for some wholesome goodness.**

**Remember, Salem has her hair down, and the veins in her cheeks have receded.**

_"Hmm. The boy scratches an itch to be sure...but I may want more."_

_"More? I'm afraid I don't understand. What do you mean by-_

_"More children, you fool! Must I spell it all out for you?!"_

_"Salem, no. Bad idea. That...that is a terrible idea."_

_"Salem, yes! I'll do as I please!"_

_~?_

**Mama Knows Best**

"My queen, you seem...distracted. Is this wise?"

Salem tilted her head as she reclined upon her throne, contemplating Tyrian's inquiry.

Did she think raising a baby in the Grimmland wise? No, not at all. Not in the least. It was downright foolish, really.

Did she care? Not. At. All. She'd never been one to listen to conventional wisdom eons ago and she wasn't about to start now.

Little Naruto gurgled contentedly in her arms and something in her cold heart melted all over again. Say what you would about his diapers, but the boy was a good baby; in that he hardly cried when she was near, or was held. Thus, Salem had done the logical thing and decided to carry him everywhere in a sling around her chest. This was what _she _deemed the most logical choice mind you, not at all realizing what it did to her image. The Mother of All Grimm, carrying a baby against her breast and breastfeeding him at that. Fear her, ye mortals!

"Good boy." she cooed, patting her son's head.

The thought brought her up short. Son. He was, wasn't he?

She'd never had one of those before. Perhaps this would prove a learning experience.

Never had she wanted something so badly and never known until she received it. Only a few months in and _already_ she found herself utterly undone by the boy currently cradled in her arms. Any resistance she might have managed to mount had dissolved within the first twenty-four hours of taking him in to her home. At the time, Salem had thought her reasoning sound. She'd been a mother once before, how hard could it be? So she was a few...centuries out of practice. What could possibly go wrong?

In a word?

Every. Bloody. Thing.

Salem was the Queen of the Grimm.

In her life, nothing was ever simple. Not one thing.

She couldn't simply walk to the story and buy diapers for her boy now, could she?

Watts -wily devil that he was- had to be approached first because she needed to secure supplies for the boy. Supplies that Hazel in turn was used to procure because most of the living world thought Arthur dead. Grimm ranged far and wide to fetch what couldn't simply be acquired through...less than legal means. From there Tyrian wanted to know was going on, which in turn meant young Cinder felt left out and was thus brought into the loop. Honestly. Her minions could be such _children_ at times. These last few days had proven to be a panicked blur that she could only vaguely recall, but Salem wouldn't trade them for the world.

Which brought her back to Tyrian's question.

"I am well aware of your concerns," she hummed, laying her chin to rest on the back of her free hand, "But this matter isn't up for discussion. In the meantime we will continue. How goes the search for the Fall Maiden-

"Then why not just kill the babe?!" Tyrian put in petulantly. "It serves no purpose but to distract you from your divine duties!"

Salem went absolutely still. "I'm sorry. I must have misheard you, Tyrian. Did you just question me?"

Watts audibly slapped a palm against his face. "Bollocks. Right then, I'll just be leaving now-

"Idiot." Hazel rumbled. Good man. He'd taken the words right out of her mouth.

Still, they thought they could escape? No. An example must be set.

_**"Stay."**_

In her peripherals, she was only distantly aware of the two men freezing up; they didn't flee the room without being dismissed. No, they didn't dare, if only out of fear of drawing down their queen's wrath onto them. The same could not be said of Tyrian. Madman though he was, he wasn't suicidal. He realized his mistake the moment he'd spoken; alas, it was far, far too late to save himself. He stood transfixed by her gaze, wholly unable to move as she rose from her seat. The poor Faunus quivered beneath her burning red eyes.

"My queen, please!" he cried, raising an arm to shield his face. "I meant no offense-

Salem didn't think; there was only action. A mere flick of her wrist upended the table and flung everyone from their seats like straw dolls. The tiniest twitch of her fingers created a swarm of shadowy arms at Tyrian's feet, ready and willing to respond to their mistress's command. Her follower didn't even have time to try and flee, much less comprehend his own imminent peril. Even as he found his footing they surged upright as one being, countless limbs clawing -tearing!- at his body to drag him back down to the floor and pin him there.

In his sling, Naruto giggled and tugged at her hair; it almost broke Salem out of her rage. Almost.

Gentle red eyes flicked downward.

"There, there, sweetie. Mommy will be with you in a minute."

Then her gaze flitted snapped to Tyrian and her fury intensified tenfold.

"I would like you to explain to me, how it is you failed to understand my words so spectacularly." she began slowly as she adjusted her dress, took her child from her breast, and steadied him in his sling. Only then did she deign to glide forward. "Did I not tell you the matter was closed?"

Tyrian whimpered wordlessly. "I beg your forgiveness-mrrmph?!"

An inky black hand clamped down around his mouth, muffling his cries.

"Stop." With that said, Salem's boot settled on his head with a painful crunch. He dare not raise his eyes to meet hers for fear of being struck down on the spot. "Let me rephrase the question. Who is responsible for this situation in which you find yourself? I suppose you could blame Hazel or Watts." a dangerous smile bloomed on her lips. "Or even me, if you were feeling bold. But that wouldn't be fair now, would it? We all know who's truly to blame, don't we? _You._ Blink once for yes, twice for no."

He capitulated just so.

"There you have it." she growled.

"I've only held this boy for a few months now." Salem continued, reaching down to cup his chin in her hand. "But if anything were to happen to Naruto, to my baby," her voice began to darken ow, the crimson veins briefly blazing back to life in her face before receding, "If someone were to hurt my **son****...I would kill them, everyone in this room and then myself. Over. And over." Starting with you. Would you like that, Tyrian?"**

The faunus frantically shook his head, but with his mouth gagged, could only grumble.

"I thought not." Smiling, she released him. "Now fix the damn table."

Hazel coughed. "Pretty sure you were the one to break it-

Red eyes snapped to him. "Excuse me?"

His burly arms snapped up.

"N-Nothing, ma'am!"

_"Then help him."_

It would be so easy to slay him for his impudence. Tyrian, too. Just a little push and their heads would pop right off their shoulders. She could almost see it now. No, no, no, she reminded herself. She couldn't do that. She needed Tyrian alive. Just as she needed Hazel and Watts. Not to mention Cinder. Each had their own essential role to play in her plot; now moreso than ever. She needed them. Just as she needed the boy. He was good and pure, and oh gods she just wanted to squeeze him-no. Squeezing was bad. She'd break him.

She still remembered that much.

Restraining her rising anger, she stepped back half a pace.

"Its important not to lose sight of what drives us. Love, justice, reverence." her gaze held Tyrian's until he could no longer bear it and looked away. "But the moment you put your desires before my own...they will be lost to you. This isn't a threat. This is simply the truth. The path to your desires is only found...through me. And this boy is under _my_ protection."

A thought occurred to her suddenly, and in a fit of brilliance she seized on it.

"If I am your queen, then he is your Prince." She paused to let the words sink in. "You will show him the same respect you do to me." her gaze turned, sweeping them all in a slow loop. "You will not harm him in any way, shape, or form. If he asks you for something, you will do your utmost to bring it to him. Failure to do so will result in your summary execution."

Three heads bobbed dutifully.

"Good." Salem slid back into her seat and propped her chin up on her right hand. "Now, as I was saying, the Fall Maiden is somewhere in Vale. We don't know who she is yet, however-

_"Waaaaaaah!"_

Naruto chose that precise moment to start crying, causing Salem's attention to snap back to her little one in a heady rush of concern and confusion. Why?! He'd been so quiet until now! She immediately began to rock him back and forth, but the wails only intensified. A pungent smell reached her nose not a moment later. Oh.

"Nevermind. You are dismissed."

To their credit, neither Tyrian nor Hazel dared to question her; they paused just long enough to right the table before leaving the way they'd come. Was that smoke? They'd certainly vacated with all due haste. Watts was only half a step behind before she caught him with her voice.

"Not you, Arthur! I have a task for you."

The scientist hesitated. Sniffed. Flinched. "More diapers?"

Salem deflated in on herself as he helped her. "Gods, yes. Where _is _Cinder, by-the-by?" she asked. "Changing him was meant to be her task."

Watts fought down a wince. "At the risk of imminent bodily peril...I regret to inform you that she has been...training, your grace."

A furious snarl resounded somewhere outside, coupled by an equally fierce explosion.

Salem's mouth twitched. Well. That explained her absence.

"Has she now? You can help me, then."

...very well."

When she offered him Naruto, Watts took him readily enough, with only the faintest of sighs. Thankfully he had a fresh diaper and wipes on hand for the poor boy. In short order he aided her in changing and cleaning the little tyke cleanly and efficiently at that. It stood as a testament to how many times this had happened already. Her minions -with the noted exception of Tyrian- had taken to carrying them around in sealed bags on their personage. Oh gods, now she was imagining Tyrian carrying a bag of diapers around. Oddly enough, the thought made them smile. Salem silenced it before her minion could notice.

For something _else_ had claimed her attention.

Watts was still holding the boy. Stranger still, Naruto wasn't crying. He looked almost happy. Dare she say content?

"A baby in the Grimmlands," the older man mused, holding the boy before his face. "Who would've thought?"

Little Naruto tilted his head at him. Salem mirrored the expression. "Isn't he just precious?"

His eyes lit up for the merest of moments before he suppressed it. "Quite."

"Perhaps you could teach him things." It wasn't a suggestion.

His mustached twitched. "I would be honored."

Salem knew full well what Watts was after; for some reason, just as she knew the rogue scientist held an interest in her boy. He'd run tests on Naruto of course, someone had to monitor his health and she was no doctor herself. Whatever he'd found within him had the man over the moon. Something about an internal energy she didn't understand.

He thought himself so clever, careful to curry favor with her until this moment when they were alone. Poor fool. She had seen through him from the first. If he wanted to mentor the boy, to sharpen his mind, then who was she to protest. Her council each held unique talents of their own, talents they might yet impart upon her progeny when he was of an age. And if she made them think it was their idea to do so...well. Sometimes the carrot served better than the stick.

"In time, perhaps." Watts conceded. "The best seeds are planted early-gah!

He yelped when the boy found himself a firm hold of his mustache.

Salem didn't giggle at the sight. No. Surely not. Nope.

Gingerly, she extracted the baby from him.

"You may go, Arthur."

Having won what he was after, her still had the wherewithal to bow before he departed. "As you will."

Another explosion, this one more distant, rocked the tower upon his departure.

Salem exhaled softly. "Ah, Cinder. Whatever will I do with you?"

Manipulating someone well into adolescence was old hat to her these days, something in which she held a wealth of experience. In many ways, Cinder, despite her age was already an adult. Her past had hollowed her out, leaving only the faintest emotions behind. But this act of rebellion was new. Expected perhaps, but new. For the longest time, Cinder had considered herself Salem's favorite. To have her position so easily usurped, and by a mere babe...

Poor girl was jealous.

Still, she knew how to goad her into doing what she wanted. Her hunger for power that exceeded even Salem's own. Once they ascertained the Fall Maiden's identity she'd likely want to claim that power for herself. Foolish girl. Strength meant nothing. There was always someone stronger than you. Faster than you. Someone with more wealth or influence. In the end, it would be wits and cunning that would win the day. Not strength. Never strength. You needed something more. Perhaps Cinder would realize this. Perhaps not. Who could sy?

Salem took a moment to reminisce on this as she slipped into the halls herself.

"What do you think, my dear?"

Naruto didn't answer her, for he was already sound asleep.

Her lips graced his forehead. Well, that was just fine too. She was more than ready to turn in herself, gods be damned. Sleep sounded like the perfect end to an otherwise exhausting day. Yet her feet remained restless and she found herself wandering all the same. Indeed, the faintest smile quirked at the corner of Salem's mouth as she walked, careful now to soften her footfalls lest she waken him. A lone Seer passed her in the hall, looking agitated. She waved it away with a growl. She was in no mood for any further reports. She just wanted to rest with her child and make it to her quarters unobstructed.

In this, she was only partially successful.

Salem _almost _made it to outside without being disturbed again.

Then the faint sound of footfalls captured her attention and she blew out an irritated breath.

"What is it now?" she hissed. "I wish to be left alone."

"I understand that," a familiar drawling voice ground her world to a halt, "Please, pardon the intrusion."

Incredulous, the Mother of Grimm turned to face the one person in the world who would dare challenge her rule.

...what are you doing here, Ozpin?"

For that WAS Ozma standing in her door leading to her tower, barring her escape to the Grimmlands. At least it was the latest incarnation of that cowardly bastard. She knew him by his face. His bespectacled gaze shifted to the tiny bundle in her arms while his own...carried a parcel of some sort. What the devil was he up to this time? Had he come to kill her? Indignation, then confusion, followed by all consuming anger. Why was he here? How had he gotten past the Grimm and her lieutenants? Nevermind that. His reasons for coming were irrelevant. He couldn't kill her. He knew that. He'd tried before in the past. Over and over again.

Any attempt on his part now would meet the same fate as before.

She'd simply regenerate, while she destroyed his body, forcing him to claim another.

It would be a long battle of course, and it would destroy everything around them, but could do her no lasting harm. With the creation of the Maidens, he was weaker than ever before. He could destroy her tower, slay her minions and Cinder, but it would cost him this life. In the meantime, she would return. She always returned. So why come here? Why bring about this fruitless battle again...unless...

Naruto stirred in her arms.

Salem's black blood turned to ice.

No. She couldn't handle it. Not here. Not again.

Now came the fear, cold and chilling. It choked her, strangled all thought and left panic in its place. Without thinking Salem leaped back and turned her body to one side, shielding the boy from harm with one arm even as she summoned a fireball with another. Her entire body pulsed with darkness, ready to lash out at the slightest provocation. She'd meant what she'd said earlier, and with a pang of dread, Salem realized she had well and truly come undone. Spirits, she'd gotten attached. Before she wouldn't have cared overmuch if Ozma attacked. But now her blackened soul screamed out against it.

_**"No."**_ the word was a hiss. **"Not again! You won't take him. I won't allow it!"**

Ozpin noticed her turn of phrase; because that silvery brow shot straight into his hairline.

"So its true, then." to her disbelief, he discarded his cane and actually dared to her approach.

Salem's surprise jumped up another notch when he pushed said parcel toward her free arm. It contained...diapers, of all things. And formula. Clothes, too. Aghast, she doused the fire in her fingers and awkwardly accepted them with her free arm, too stunned to do anything else. Someone snickered in the background. She swore to kill whomever it was. Later. When she wasn't holding the boy. When she wasn't about to kill everyone and everything in front of her. She must respond. She'd utter a curse so black that he'd wilt and-

"Eh?" she squeaked out eloquently. "I...you...bwuh?"

Ozma dared another step forward and she shrank back like a frightened schoolgirl.

"I'd heard the rumors, but I had to see it for myself." her heart lurched painfully at the tenderness in her old lover's words. "You're actually taking care of a baby. I didn't think you had it in you." His mouth formed what might have been a frown when her eyes began to blaze. "I know you must be furious with me, but _please,_ hear me out-

_**"LEAVE!"**_

A pillar of flame burst from her palm, and to her dismay, he didn't even deign to fight back. No, the old fool took it right to his chest. Aura crackling, he fell to a knee, coughed, and picked himself back up. Salem had held her breath, waiting for the inevitable counterattack to come. This was a trick. A deception of some sort, meant to make her lower her guard. Surely he would strike any moment now. But he never did. As she looked on the cane clattered from Oz's grasp, skittering across the floor to rest at her feet. When she looked back, he had both hands raised in quiet contrition.

"As difficult as it may be to believe," he began, "I come in peace."

_"You'll leave in pieces!"_

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"How did you know?" she shot back.

His eyes twinkled. "A little bird told me."

Qrow was dead. Oz was dead. THEY WERE ALL DEAD.

Before she could absolutely EVISCERATE him, however, the headmaster hastened onward.

"I would like to propose a truce." Ozpin continued delicately, choosing his words with great care as though his very life depended on them. It did. "Regarding that boy."

Fine. Play that way, would he? Salem swept Naruto behind her arms. "What boy? I see no boy."

_"Salem, please." _She swiped at him when he tried to step closer, forcing him back half a pace. "I've been aware of him for some time now." he ducked another blow aimed at his legs. "I thought you were playing at a ruse of some sort. I thought it was a trick. That you were simply training up another pawn as you always do. But you didn't take him, did you?" when she didn't follow up on the latter, he dared a tiny step forward. "You didn't snatch him from a family." Then another. Another. "You've been gentle with that boy. Kind. The same kindness you showed our daughters. Why is that? Why now, after all these years? What changed?"

"I...found him." she confessed, cursing herself for the slip. "He was alone. Here. In the Grimmlands."

"And you didn't think that he might have parents?" her old friend prodded, testing her words.

Her walls slammed back into place and she pulled the boy close. "He is _mine, _Ozma."

...you're not going to budge on this, are you? Do you even remember how-

_**"OZMA!"**_

Salem hissed like a struck snake and reared; expecting more defiance, more wretched words to make her question herself-swore to silence him if he said anything else. She drew all her might and power within herself, channeling it into her free hand for a single devastating blast. She might loose track of him for a few years, but it would be well worth it to silence his twisted tongue.

"That was unkind of me." She wasn't prepared for him to kneel before her. "I apologize. For this...and everything."

She couldn't even discern the drivel that spouted from her lips.

All the while, his gaze never left hers.

"I've made my decision; if you cannot be destroyed, then you need to be saved." Urk. Why was he phrasing it like that?! Still, he bulled on. "And its become painfully clear to me that boy is the means to do it. You care for him as if he were your own."

Save her?

Those words hit Salem like a slap in the face and the Mother of Grimm felt her protests wither like a dying flower. Did she dare trust him? No. Of course not. He was the cause of all her ruin. He was the reason she'd become...this. Their four daughters lay dead by his hand; through his own cowardice he had damned them. She'd be a fool to take him at his word. Nevermind her plans, they couldn't just start over again. Could they? Centuries had passed. Eons. He couldn't just walk back into her life as if nothing had happened and beg her forgiveness. That wasn't the way it worked! Did he think her a fool?! She would stay strong! She would not succumb to weakness! She...

"We were finally free." her own voice betrayed her again in a quiet keening sound. "Who are you to come back now? Its too late!"

"I think not." He answered with a small, sad smile of his own. "I'll accept whatever punishment you deem necessary."

"Anything?" Her brow quirked in confusion. "You can't be serious. You're joking. You must be."

"Try me." those grey eyes gleamed. "You'll find my resolve isn't lacking."

Her own scarlet orbs narrowed to hooded slits.

"We shall see."

She couldn't forgive him. Not here. Not yet. Perhaps not ever. There was too much anger, too much pain, too much hurt between them. But by the gods, he was trying, and his words had reached her. Some tiny part of her heart wept for them. For his mistakes as much as hers, for what they'd become. It almost made her want to give her old lover a change. How very...weak of her. It would be easier to kill him. Yes, to simply wipe him from existence and force him to begin anew. She would pretend this never happened. She would forget everything he'd said to her.

Instead, she moved.

Salem didn't hesitate. Nor did Ozma. When she attacked, he made no move to defend himself whatsoever. Her heel slammed into his unprotected groin in a blur of black, slicing through his Aura as though it were naught but butter. The sheer force behind the blow shattered the wall behind her former lover. Anyone else would have perished on the spot. Ozpin only crumpled to the floor with a dry wheeze, writhing in pain. That was a mercy by comparison. He would not die from this; they both knew he had survived far worse. She didn't use any spells. She just kicked him. Over. And over.

"Alright. I deserve this." he croaked out between kicks.

Salem still wasn't satisfied with_ that. _"You'll get much more, mister!"

So she kicked him again. For good measure. Once. Twice. Three times. Four.

Eventually, she simply couldn't bring herself to hurt him anymore. Her rage simply guttered out.

And in its place, the tiniest ember sprang back to life in her heart. Just an ember. A tiny flame. It was enough.

When Ozma told her the terms of this "truce" Salem couldn't help herself. She started laughing. She wouldn't stop for an hour.

**A/N: SURPRISE!**

**Didn't expect that, did you?!**

**There will be a minor time skip next chapter.**

**We'll also get the Cinder bit then, felt too early here.**

**I'm about to take the crazy and crank it aaaaaaall the way up to ELEVEN.**

**Meanwhile teenage Cinder's busy murdering a bunch of Grimm. Yeah, strikes me as something she'd do. We still haven't had a chance to see her past; though from what I've heard, Volume Eight may well deliver that. ****On another note, don't question Salem. She wants to breastfeed her kid? You let her. She wants to carry him every she goes? You LET her. She wants to spoil him? YOU LET HER. She wants to arrange playdates?**

**YOU. LET. HER.**

**Eh, or she just kidnaps kids.**

**Soooooo in the Immortal Words of Atlas...****Review, Would You Kindly?**

**They keeps me alive. Without them, I'll just vanish into the void. Poof. Gone.**

**Also...I maaaaaaaaaay have read a certain comic that gave me ideas for this story. Looooots of them.**

**(Preview)**

_"Hey, Short-Stack."_

_Summer's head perked up. "Yeah?"_

_Qrow blew out a breath. "W__e're going on a trip."_

_Silver eyes narrowed. "What are you up to this time?"_

* * *

_"Who let him swim in a Grimm pool?!"_

_All fingers pointed towards Tyrian. There was no hesitation._

_To his credit, the Faunus managed to look apologetic. "He seems alright, though?"_

_Naruto was far too busy splashing about to notice what his mother was doing to his uncle Tyrian._

* * *

_Little Yang scuffed her foot against the ground. "Whatcha doing?"_

_The blond boy with red eyes waved._

* * *

_...why is he riding an Ursa?"_

_Hazel sniffed proudly. "That's my boy."_

_"BY THE GODS, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!"_

* * *

_"You gave him a pet dragon."_

_Salem blinked. "Is that a problem? It wasn't doing anything under the mountain. And look. It likes him."_

_Naruto waved atop the beasts back. "I named her Ebony! Can I keep her, mom? She talks!"_

_Salem made a noise that could only be described as a squeal._

_Her council groaned. "Salem, no..._

_"Salem, yes!"_

**R&R~!**


	3. I'm Only Joking

**A/N: Yes, this is short because...reasons.**

**EDIT: BEGONE TROLLS! THE POWER OF PRINT COMPELS THEE!**

**Warning right now, we jump ahead about.._.five years here._ Don't worry, its all part of the plan. Naruto couldn't stay a baby forever, and with him growing up, now the shenanigans can truly begin in earnest. ****Furthermore, Ozpin and Salem's agreement will be expanded upon in this chapter. Hope that helps. They're...still enemies in a sense, but explaining it in an author's note would be difficult, so I leave it to this story give hints. Wouldn't do to spell it all out at once now, would it?**

**Feels nice to write some good wholesome fluff. ****Now then, brace yourself for some sugary goodness.**

**If memory serves, Cinder's hair is also short around this time *double checks* yup, we're good here! All set!**

**She's also younger, if this chapter doesn't make that clear. I mean, she hasn't even recruited Emerald or Mercury yet!**

**Title is a direct reference to the song _I'm Only Joking by Kongos._ Really got my blood pumping to write as of late. Its good for writing humor stories, but it REALLY jazzes me up to write fight scenes and all the good action bits. ****Speaking of which, you can expect some big ones pretty soon. Not here, but in other stories. ****You know which ones~!**

**Oh, and one last tiiiiiiny little thing. ****Needy!Cinder is always an entertaining Cinder to write.**

**Salem's off kidnapping kids at the moment, so we get to focus on the gang here.**

**Oh dear, did I say kidnapping kids? Why, I believe I did. We're doomed.**

_"The plan is brilliant...actually, no, it isn't. Its guaranteed to fail."_

_"But neither of us want it to. Isn't that the point?"_

_"You're cracked. You do realize this."_

_"And **you** took in a small child."_

_...blast your bloody logic."_

_~Salem and Ozpin._

**I'm Only Joking**

_Weak!_

They were all weak!

Salem, Watts, Hazel, the lot of them!

Cinder seethed with singular fury as she stalked through the halls of Salem's tower, hands balled at her sides as she struggled to control her temper. For once, she was _grateful _she didn't yet possess the power of the Fall Maiden; had she managed to claim it by now, no doubt the tower would be a melted heap of slag. Which would be bad for her, considering her mistress was immortal and she most assuredly was not. Salem wouldn't take kindly to having her home brought down on her head, no matter the reason. She'd survive and, well...she wouldn't.

Cinder was many things, but she was a survivalist above all. She knew when to pick her battles and when to retreat.

When she first saw that mewling babe in Salem's arms? Nope. She'd seen the threat from the first.

And what had she'd done? She'd _nope'd_ right the hell out of there.

Her allies hadn't; they'd each stood their ground in the face of that...child, believing him to be harmless. Each of them were defeated. Salem had been but the first victim of this unholy menace, this great terror. Watts fell in the first year. Hazel, the second. To his credit, Tyrian had lasted all of three years before the brat sank his claws into him. But now, well into the _fourth_ year the child inevitably turned his attention to her. He'd already taken her place as Salem's new favorite, and didn't that just burn? Oh, but Cinder Fall would not _fall_ prey to him! She refused!

...there was a pun begging to be used there, but she refused to think of it.

"Yes, just like that! Well done, young master!"

Her ears pricked up as Tyrian's distant laughter rippled down a corridor. Aha! The foyer! So that's where they were hiding!

Cinder hastened her pace, heels clicking angrily against the cold floor. She was absolutely going to cut one of them this time. Thought they could sneak off and play with the brat, did they?! She'd show them! A stray Seer skittered into her path and she batted it aside with one of her blades, uncaring of the pitiful squeak it gave. Ghastly things. She'd never get used to them. Just as she'd never get used to a child underfoot. It wasn't that she cared. No. Not at all. But those old men were going to get the boy killed...which meant Salem would _kill all of them._

And now her mistress wanted to bring more children here. To the Grimmlands! Play-dates she called them! All part of some fell agreement with Ozpin! Had everyone gone mad?!

She had been careful to hold her tongue for all these years, wary to give the tyke the slightest satisfaction of her attention lest he find an opening..._she failed miserably._ Because he knew. Somehow, the little bastard _knew_ she was trying to ignore him, and he had made it his life's goal to unravel her. With Salem's backing no less. Clever little...hurk! No! Bad Cinder! Evil thoughts! Power! World Domination! She was strong! She was mighty! She would not be undone! This child had no power over her!

Ah, but there was the foyer. Vengeance was nigh!

When she found the door, she slammed it open with a snarl. "TYRIAN CALLOWS! What are you doing with his this time?!"

"Nothing, dear Cinder!" came the catcall. "Just enjoying the show!"

To his credit, the faunus didn't jump at her outburst; because he was far too preoccupied with something else. As was everyone else in the room. At first, she didn't understand what the devil they were up to, or why they were ignoring her. And an _ignored_ Cinder was an _angry_ Cinder. Perhaps a good smack to the head would bring some of them back to reality. She raised her arm to do just that when neither of them so much as gave her the time of day.

_Until she saw._

"Wheeeeeeeeeee~!"

As ever, young Naruto was wrapped up in a Grimm Shark onesie. Adorable little shit. She hated him. She wanted to hug him. That wasn't a problem _-Yes! Yes it was! Aaall the problems!-_ rather, the dilemma proved to a more pressing concern; because he currently _riding_ an Ursa around the room as though it were a horse. Even now latter bucked and snorted like an angry bronco as it kicked out with its legs and thrashed about. But, that clever blond bastard only grinned and clung on for dear life. Her face went ashen at the sight. Her mind rebooted. Once. Twice. Thrice.

...why is he riding an Ursa?"

Watts shrugged. "He wanted to?"

Naruto squealed in delight. "Giddyup!"

Hazel wiped a proud tear from his eye. "That's my boy."

Nononono! Salem would slaughter them if he died!_ Including her!_

Cinder darted forward in a scarlet streak and snatched him from its back with one arm, even as the other snapped a sword from her back and brought it down on the beast's head. Naruto didn't cry when she plucked him by the scruff of his neck, but that petulant look her gave her as his mount dissolved? It promised payback. Payback she was more than willing to endure if it meant she got to live another day. Damn brat! Was he trying to get himself killed?! Did his vendetta against her go that far?!

"Boo." Tyrian sulked. "I was enjoying that."

"BY THE GODS, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!"

"Nothing. Perhaps if you interacted with him more, you might agree with some of our...methods." Watts offered as Naruto wriggled free from her grasp and waltzed over to play with one of his toys. "The boy's quite clever for his age. I dare say he's a prodigy. Nor was he never in any danger." a brow quirked. "Or have you forgotten that the Grimm won't harm him?"

The blackette blinked slowly. "No...?"

Watt's didn't smile. But his mustache twitched.

Hazel was wise enough to cover his mouth with a large forearm.

Tyrian...was Tyrian, far less subtle when he cackled and threw himself to the floor.

_"Stop, damn you!"_

With a supreme effort of will, Cinder mastered herself. Must. Not. Kill. No matter how much she might want to. Maybe someday. Still, the laughter of Tyrian grated on her nerves; worse, Naruto had started laughing too; a soft little giggle that only a child could produce. Her fingers twitched traitorously towards him. Not to rip and tear, but for another purpose entirely. Curse her heart. She wanted to _squeeze_ him. This was precisely why she had worked to hard to avoid him in the past. There was just something about the boy that made her want to spoil him rotten...

Frantically, she settled for the first insult she could find.

"He hasn't spoken any of our names yet." Cinder clicked her tongue in quiet satisfaction. "Some prodigy."

"And our goddess is most distressed about that." Tyrian tittered merrily. "But not I! Oh, no! For I will be victorious!"

"Over my dead body." Watts grumbled. All eyes turned to him. "I'm joking of course." he lied. "Far be it from me to upset our queen."

It didn't take long for Cinder to put the puzzle pieces together. She might be younger than the lot of them, but she liked to believe her mind was sharper than these three put together. It wouldn't do to hurt their delicate _feelings_ of course, so she settled for a small scoff. "You're betting on whose name he says first?"

"Perhaps you should play with him yourself." Hazel offered. "He's not a bad child."

She risked a gaze at him. Naruto waved.

And her heart gave a painful _lurch._

Must...fight...instincts...!

"Play with him?" Cinder inhaled with a sharp hiss meant to mask her true feelings. "Bah! Weak, the lot of you! Look at him!" she flung an incredulous finger at said boy, who gazed back at her with guileless blue eyes. "The little Brat's not even five and half of you are already wrapped around his little finger! Salem's swooning over him and snatching children for him to play with! Tyrian wants to teach him to MURDER everything!"

Cinder paused for a breath. Oh, but she wasn't done! Not by a long shot!

"I see you trying to creep away over there, Watts! You gave him a math book just this morning!" the genius flinched only slightly beneath her words. "Hazel's already unlocked his Aura for crying out loud! Well!" she drew herself up with more confidence than she felt. "I for one will not be swayed by this little HELLSPAWN-

"Cin-duh." Naruto lisped suddenly, pointing in her direction.

Her head snapped around with an audible crack. "DID HE JUST SAY MY NAME?!"

Watts groaned and slapped a large bundle of lien into Hazel's awaiting hand. "Take your damn money."

Neither man batted an eyelash when Cinder bolted back to the boy's side and crushed him against her bosom.

"I take it back!" she squealed! "Best! Kid! Ever!" A thought occurred to her, then. "Wait. He said _my _name first. Where's _my_ cut?!"

Another bundle flew at Cinder's face only to be nimbly snagged and stuffed into one of the many hidden pouches on her person before anyone could question its existence. Her cackle put Tyrian's to shame. Of course, any and all form of laughter made Naruto laugh, and that just made Cinder laugh all the more. Just like that, the last of her walls came crumbling down into so much dust. Because just now? For a fleeting instant she had _seen_ something; glimpsed a familiar gleam in those baby blue eyes; one she knew all too well if only because his triumphant smirk reminded her of herself. In a single move, he'd brought Watts low.

"How quickly you changed your tune." Hazel snorted with a knowing air, drawing a glower from Salem's resident schemer. "What brought this on?"

Because this boy knew more than he let on. Of course he did. He'd been watching _her._ Perhaps he'd picked up more than she thought.

Crushing him closer to her to chest, Cinder began to hum softly to herself as the beginnings of a new scheme were born.

"I've changed my mind." she purred the words. "He and I are going to get along _splendidly."_

**A/N: SALEM KIDNAPPING KIDS FOR PLAY DATES.**

**Yup. You read that right.**

**Also, I'm writing this while drunk. Huh. Neat.**

**Not like I've got anything better to do, being cooped up on the patio.**

**Heh, I'm gonna turn into Qrow at this rate. Wait a minute! I have two nephews! 0_0**

**Drunkle Qrooooooow!**

**Worry not, we'll see the other previews I mentioned in coming chapters. Northeast may well be locked down, but that's fiiiiiiine. I've got enough food and supplied to feed my family for awhile. Might have to tell m' other job to stuff it, though. Really not comfortable going out like this.**

**Soooooo in the Immortal Words of Atlas...****Review, Would You Kindly?**

**They keeps me alive. Without them, I'll just vanish into the void. Poof. Gone.**

**Well! Hope you enjoy the previews! Looking forward to those sweet, sweet juicy reviews. Which preview d' ya like?**

**(Previews)**

_"So when I'm older, we can get married?"_

_Cinder decided to indulge him. "If you get stronger, certainly."_

_Naruto grinned, and it was that smile that instantly set Cinder on edge. __It reminded her of a shark. _

* * *

_...who did you kidnap this time?"_

_"To be honest, I'm not quite sure. What's your name, child?"_

_"B-Blake..._

_"Ah, there you are." Salem preened. "Her name's Blake."_

_Ozpin groaned. __"This. This is why we can't have nice things. Did you at least inform her parents that you intend to return her?"_

_His ex-wife turned aside awkwardly. "No...?"_

* * *

_"Its a competition, then?"_

_"Yes! That boy is an example. A beacon of hope, if you will."_

_"What sort of hope?" Ironwood hedged, dreading the answer. A drunken Ozpin was a scary Ozpin.  
_

_"The hope that we might have world peace within our lifetime. Or worldwide war. I'm not certain which."_

_"And SHE wants him to attend Beacon."_

_"Quite! Not sure how I'm going to pull that miracle off."_

* * *

_"Daddy!" a blond blur cannoned into his chest._

_Ozpin toppled backwards with a croak. "I just took critical damage..._

_Salem hummed and snatched his mug. "Is that so? Then you won't be needing this-_

_"I NEVER SAID THAT!"_

**R&R~!**


	4. Black and Yellow

_**A/N: PLEASE READ THIS NOTE, WOULD YOU KINDLY?**_

**Trolls all over the reviews again, even though I just posted this. Kinda hoping they'd stop by now...can't we just have peaceful dialogue?**

**What would you like to see updated next? Untraveled Road? Partners in Crime? Wolf in Sheep's Clothing? Something else, perhaps? By all means, let us know!**

**Well, I hope folks like this chapter. It threw me and my team through writing hell.**

**This chapter had to be rewritten three -COUNT 'EM! THREE!- times because the five of us couldn't agree on anything. Some wanted it focus on Ruby, others demanded Blake, and one bugger wanted an entirely different direction.**

**In the end, I put my foot down and put things to a vote. So here we be.**

**Sorry, this is shorter than I'd like it to be. ****Had to divide the chapter into threes, you see. ****Because, the world's gone bonkers again. I'm not leaving my house. No sirree! **

**Sorry for the rhyme, I just...well. I feel like I'm losing my mind, all these riots and the Corona have me going a little batty. Doesn't help that I've got a nasty cough and a fever myself. I swear, I better not have it! ****In other news, I've been updating other stories besides my RWBY ones, contrary to popular belief. They just happen to require longer chapters at the moment. **

**Now that we've gotten that out of the way...y****ar, timeskip off the port bow!**

**We've jumped forward two years by now, meaning Naruto is _SEVEN_ at the time of this chapter. ****Furthermore, said chapter makes some things readily apparent; because for better or worse, the timeline has changed. Radically so. ****Allow me to put things into perspective way for you; the moment Salem picked up Naruto? The world began to change. ****Granted, we haven't been able to see all those changes yet, because thus far the bad guys have been the mouthpieces, alongside Ozpin himself. But now?**

**Now we get to see just how things have changed. Hope you're ready to smile.**

**I had a blast writing this chapter; it gave me the chance to write with if only because its one of the few stories were I can cut loose and have fun. Of course there's a plot here, it might be hard to see buried in the humor and the chaos and laughter, but its there. Don't you worry. As to those changes I mentioned...**

**Quote says it all. Well, you've been warned.**

**Salem took in a kid and Ozpin reacted accordingly.**

**Of course that's going to create ripples! How could it bloody not?!**

**I know some of you are hungry for a Naruto POV; worry not, you'll get it soon...**

**As ever, I own no references, themes or memes. I only use them to help folks smile here and there. Surprise~!**

_"Where! Is! Yang?!"_

_"Sweetie, just calm down. I'm sure she's around-_

_"NONE OF THAT, TAI! DON'T YOU "SWEETIE" ME! Someone took my baby!"_

_"Can't you just use a portal? Not to be rude, but you have a bond with her, so she should be-_

_"I tried that! Someone knocked my ass into the ocean and stole my sword! I had to fly back without it! Now get up! We're going hunting!"_

_...you're a good mother, Rae."_

_"MOVE IT BLONDIE!"_

_~Raven and Tai._

**Black and Yellow **

_Ozpin considered himself a bulwark._

Indeed, he was veritable bastion of stoicism and severity, one who stood fast against any and all evils in this world. His deeds were many, his works spoken in deed and legend. In countless lives he had worked tirelessly for the betterment of mankind. He'd destroyed villains. Laid low criminal organization who would see everything brought to ruin. He had even stepped onto the field of battle himself and laid low entire armies during the Great War to bring peace to Remnant, then established the Huntsman Academies to maintain said peace.

For years now, he'd waged a shadow war -one he was still very much in the middle of waging!- with evil incarnate ensure this tenuous period of calm remained as such. He would do anything to preserve it. No risk was too great, no sacrifice too high; so long as _he_ was the one to make said sacrifice.

Thus armed with a thermos full of coffee and his trusty cane, did Ozpin depart from his craft and venture forth into the heart of darkness once more.

One could never tell time in the Grimmlands by the sky; he still wasn't certain whether it was day or night. Time was tricky here, piloting a bullhead by himself was a meager feat compared to this.

That aside, Salem's tower truly was a marvel of engineering; a great ghastly spire that seemed to challenge the very heavens. A flock of giant Nevermore wheeled high in the sky overhead, and the landing pad afforded Ozpin a closer view of them than he would have liked. He knew _she_ had but to will it and they would tear him limb from limb. He was strong, but not _that_ strong. Not anymore. Not since the Maidens. It was always like this, even after a number of years now, he still expected her to try something at times, and it was only her lack of action that soothed his nerves.

And so the truce remained.

Bracing himself, the aging headmaster ascended the stairs into the archway beyond. His bones protested every step of the way, serving as a sullen reminder of his age. This body had grown old. How many years of life did it have left? Twenty? Ten? Less? He didn't relish the idea of starting over again as an adolescent, much less forcing himself upon a simple soul. Hmm. Thoughts for later, he supposed.

As ever, no one challenged him when he reached the foyer; only Hazel was bold enough to threaten him here and he appeared to be absent today. As were Salem's other...associates.

_Thank the gods for small mercies._

Taking a moment to compose himself, the immortal allowed his gaze to rover across the grand space before him.

He couldn't quite call it homey just yet, but it was much improved since last year's visit -would that he could more often!- for he could see Salem had gone to great lengths to renovate in his absence. She'd even dragged in new furniture...quite literally, judging by the haphazard place of mismatched chairs and tables. He could still see the marks in the stone where they'd been hauled about. Hazel's doing no doubt; that brute of a man was many a thing, but subtle he was most assuredly not.

A stray Seer floated by with a toy clutched in one of its many tentacles, giving him pause.

Against his better judgement, Ozpin prodded it with his cane, causing it to round on him as he asked a question. "I'm sorry, but have you seen-

"Aha~!"

His ears pricked up at a distant cry; followed by the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps in the distance. Noise carried here and he heard them long before he saw their owner. It brought a smile to his face. He hadn't even announced himself yet, meaning the boy must have sensed him already.

_"You're back~!"_

Some called Ozpin cold. Some said he cared for nothing and no one. This was something of a half truth. It had to be him; rather, the world had to believe that he was such. Someone else might have gotten it wrong. Yes, the world thought he held no attachments to anyone or anything. Why to even _suggest_ otherwise was utter nonsense and drivel and...

..._all_ those lies came crumbling down the moment a blond blur barreled into his chest.

It was like being struck by a meteor head on; if said _meteor_ were the size of a seven-year-old boy bearing the momentum of a falling star behind him. Even with his Aura up Ozpin nearly found himself propelled back out the door and into the Grimmlands from whence he'd came. Gods above, the boy was getting strong. Had it been that long already? Without thinking, he reached down with his free arm and held his attacker close.

"Careful now," he chided, "You nearly broke my ribs that time."

"Sorry, I was just excited~!" Bright blue eyes framed by whiskered cheeks beamed up as the boy babbled happily in his embrace. "I mean, its been already been almost a year! Guess what! I can walk on walls now!"

Ozpin's brain rebooted.

_...what?"_

"Oops. Um...Missed ya, dad?" Realizing his gaffe, Naruto buried his head deeper into Ozpin's chest.

"He's not lying, you know. He gave me quite the fright last week." a heartbreaking familiar voice plucked at Ozpin's heartstrings and he knew who he would find when he looked up. Sure enough, Salem's pale hand graced his shoulder, her lips his cheek, and her hips brushed his cheek in passing. "Still alive, I see. I thought you would've taken a new body by now."

"Mom, ewwww." Naruto groaned. "I'm right here."

"So you are, dear. How would you like a little brother? Or perhaps a sister?"

_"Eh?!"_

Ozpin tried to meet that retort with one of his own. He failed. Salem had that effect on you.

Instead he focused on the little things. She'd let her hair down today. She still wore that blessed black backless gown of hers, and those angry red veins had receded yet further from her face. Oh, she wasn't fully relaxed, not truly, but it was a far cry from the taut anger he'd seen in his wife eons ago. It still wasn't quite the reception he had been hoping for -and wouldn't be with Naruto in the room- but the fact that she was willing to even touch him at all without _immolating his bits_ proved promising enough. Baby steps. Once again the irony of the situation struck him like a slap in the face.

Ex-wife, he reminded himself with a grimace. Through no fault but his own.

"Dad?" Naruto muttered again, mistaking his silence for something else. "You okay?"

_Urk._ And there it was, the crux of the matter. A single word laid him low. Ozpin dropped his thermos and toppled backwards with a croak. "I just took critical damage...

Salem strode past and swiped it before it could crash to the floor. "Is that so? Then you won't be needing this, will you~?"

_"I never said that!"_

Let her have his coffee?! No! Never! Ozpin's cane flicked out to snatch it out of her grasp, heedless of the black look she gave him in return. Salem was dangerous enough on her own, but she was nigh on _terrifying_ when you added caffeine into the equation. Coffee spiked with alcohol? Out of the question. Ozpin had experienced the horror of a drunken Salem once before. _Once._ Never again.

Naruto plucked it from his hands and tossed it to his mother, who caught it, much to Ozpin's great dismay.

_Treachery!_ By his own flesh and blood! Well, they weren't related, but still!

Salem's eyebrows all but vanished into her hair as she sipped from her stolen prize. Had she read his mind? "Its not treachery if he was loyal to me all along."

Ozpin shot a halfhearted glower at the boy as he leaned against a wall.

"Sorry, not sorry!" came the laugh. "Mom's _waaay_ scarier!"

"Scary am I?" Salem swept in behind him.

_"Gah! No! Lemme go!"_

Clad in dark fabric to mach his mother -he'd have to get him better clothes- young Naruto still cut a rather dashing figure, even as he squirmed in Salem's now-tickling grasp. Already tall for his age, he'd grown further still since he'd seen him last. Somehow, the thought made Oz's heart hurt.

He didn't see him nearly as much as he would've liked.

Salem meanwhile, draped herself across a nearby couch with a fond smile as their son continued to flail weakly in her arms. She looked almost _normal_ as she lounged on the couch, one arm draped over Naruto as he chatted with her. Softer, less angry, more relaxed than she'd been in an age. Her beautiful red eyes followed Naruto's small form with quiet delight, nothing more. It was the same loving expression he'd seemed aimed at their daughters, once upon a time. Before the fire. Before everything changed.

They'd managed to maintain a fragile peace between them. For now.

Oh they still had their plots and their schemes where Naruto was concerned, they effectively left work at the door. Salem wasn't foolish enough to walk into Vale -and while Team STRQ was beginning to wonder at Ozpin's strange absences- they'd made it work. Somehow.

There were times when he wondered about this; wondered if he had been right to leave all those years ago, to flee like a coward without speaking to her. She'd reacted the only way she knew how. Loudly. Had cooler heads prevailed, their girls might have survived. He wasn't sure what possessed Salem to take in this boy, but neither could he deny the change it had wrought in her. Sometimes subtle, sometimes overt, but change nonetheless. Had the God of Light been wrong after all? If she could take in a child and be a loving mother to him, then surely, _surely _there was hope for her.

Then the door crashed open and all thoughts of change vanished from Ozpin's mind.

"I have returned, my queen~!"

Tyrian Callows was many things. Trustworthy was not one of them. Ozpin wanted to believe that there was hope for Salem. Naruto had opened his eyes to that. Tyrian? Nope. Lots of nope. Big freaking nope sandwich. He was a madman through and through, a murderer who reveled in pain and the taking of lives. He was uncontrollable and not to be trust. The fact that Salem somehow commanded him? Miraculous. That young Naruto had him wrapped so tightly around his little finger was surely nothing short of _unholy._

"Hello, favorite nephew!" he saw Naruto and his face lit up with childlike glee.

"Uncle, " The boy took the opportunity to wriggle free. "I'm your only nephew."

_"Aaand_ that makes you my favorite!" such was the unassailable logic of a madman. You couldn't argue with it. "But enough of that! I brought you a gift, as your mother commanded!"

Father and son exchanged a blank look.

_Gift...?_

Only then did Ozpin finally notice the strange black sack slung over Tyrian's shoulder. It was _moving_ and something in him twitched at the sight. Naruto noticed as well, and judging by his horrified expression, he'd come to the same conclusion. No. She wouldn't surely not. Oh, who was he kidding. Salem had always been a woman of extremes. Yet somehow, this still came as a surprise to him. He'd heard tell of children disappearing all along the coast, but not this lunacy!

Least of all when the madman plucked out a bound girl from within the heavy bag. Ozpin had time enough to glimpse dark clothes, wide amber eyes and...feline ears? Oh, dear.

"Mom!" Naruto cried, palming his face. "You didn't!"

Mom indeed, Ozpin thought. "And who might that poor girl be?"

"No one to concern yourself with." Salem's sunny smile alarmed him enough. "Just a new friend for our son."

Tyrian's captive snarled furiously behind her gag and the lunatic flashed her a black look. "It is as my goddess says. None of your concern."

Naruto didn't move; he all but _dove_ at Tyrian, leaping up to grab the poor girl from his grasp before pulling her to safety. His noble efforts earned him a vicious headbutt from the girl but he continued on undaunted. Quick as a flash he had both her arms free, followed soon thereafter by her legs; in the next instant he drew her aside with a rushed apology.

...who did you kidnap this time?" Ozpin asked. "Do you even know her name?"

Tyrian shrugged helplessly.

Salem favored him with a frown and he groaned anew. Had she not even considered that much?

"To be honest, I'm not quite sure." her lips pursed as Naruto awkwardly removed the girl's gag. "What's your name, child? Speak up now."

"B-Blake...

"Ah, there you have it." Salem preened, placing both hands in her lap as Naruto muttered something comforting to the new arrival. "Her name's Blake. She'll be staying here for the foreseeable future. Lets hope she works out better than the last one."

Blake squeaked. "L-Last one...?"

"Oh yes, it was quite the disaster." the Mother of All Grimm favored her with a bemused look. "What was his name? Ah. Cardin. That's the one. He tried to bully my boy. We had to get rid of him, you see."

"Hmm." Naruto agreed thoughtlessly. "Didn't end well."

Of course the poor girl misunderstood _that_ remark in its entirety; before the boy could explain himself she foamed at the mouth and went limp. Naruto narrowly managed to catch her and ease her to the floor before she could dash her head against something. In the same instant he kicked out with his right leg and his foot collided with the back of Tyrian's knee, causing the older man to yelp and clutch at his heel.

"Dear nephew?!" he cried out! What was that for?!"

_"Lots of things!"_

"Oh, dear. It appears she fainted." Salem crooned with false sincerity. "Poor thing. Don't worry, we'll make her comfortable here."

_"This._" Ozpin groaned. "This is why we can't have nice things. Did you at _least_ inform her parents that you intend to return her like the rest?"

Salem _had_ returned Cardin to his family of course. Even she wasn't so foolish as to steal children and keep them indefinitely. Poor boy; he would be babbling about monsters and madmen for the rest of his life. No one would believe him. Granted, h'd never met the Winchester scion in person, but he'd dimly recalled Naruto having a black eye once. Once. Salem's anger had been legendary that day.

"No...?" His ex-wife turned aside awkwardly under his piercing glare. "N-Nevermind that!" coughing into a fist, she looked away. "Tyrian, I instructed you to return with two, not one. Where is the other one?"

"Other one?!" Naruto squawked. "Mom, no!"

"Mom yes! You need playmates!"

Tyrian however, blinked, and peered back into the bag. "I could have sworn there was another one in here." he frowned fretfully. "Oh dear, she must have slipped off when I wasn't looking...

"Wait." Ozpin paused, suddenly concerned when no immediate cry of condemnation came from Naruto. He looked left. Looked right. "Where did he go...?"

Alas, he had even less time to ponder the boy's absence before a crimson portal opened beside him. Wait. The immortal man rounded on it, eyes wide. Portal, his startled mind balked. Such a portal implied Raven's presence, among other things. Raven meant the rest of Team STRQ wasn't far behind, which meant Salem had likely taken someone important to.._.oh._ Oh, dear. He hadn't simply miscalculated in this. He'd blundered. Badly.

His brain had only just begun to comprehend his peril when the woman herself burst out of said portal and rammed her fist into his nose.

"OZPIIIIIN!"

The man toppled backward like a falling tree.

_Salem rich laughter floated through the room as he lost consciousness. _

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

Yang Xiao-Long was lost in the dark.

Well, cold, dark, and alone, but mostly cold.

Clad in little more than a pair of golden pajamas, she stumbled on through the halls, frightened out of her wits. She didn't even know where she was or how she'd gotten here in the first place; one moment she'd been playing outside with Ruby, the next, a giant Nevermore swooped down on them. Like any good cousin she'd shoved Rubes out of the way; unfortunately that meant the bird snatched her instead. Said bird had given her to some crazy guy, who in turn tossed her into a sack and now...here she was. By some miracle she'd woken alone and managed to get free of her bindings. Heh. She was just awesome like that.

There had been another girl who had been...what was this, kidnapping? It felt like she'd been kidnapped.

In reality, her daring feat left her stranded in a terrible tower with no way out, no recourse but to wander the halls and hope for an exit.

What else could she possibly do?! She wasn't strong enough, she didn't have any weapons, or even a Scroll to call for help. She was only seven years old.

Oh gods.

Nevermind Summer, mom was gonna flip. Raven would go absolutely insane. She almost wished she would be there to see it but something told her she wasn't going to survive the next five minutes.

Bleak red eyes stalked her from the shadows wherever she went, ever watchful and intent. Grimm? She'd never seen one before, but they had to be. Why weren't they attacking her? She knew her lessons; Grimm _always _attacked when they saw people and these were BIG Grimm indeed. Bigger than her, certainly!

At some unseen command, one of them tensed and lurched out of the darkness ahead of her.

It saw her and sniffed, making a strange panting sound. Yang panicked.

Nope! _Nope!_ NOPE!

Instinct took over and she swatted it on the nose with all the might a child possessed; needless to say the Beowolf took exception to that. A giant paw swiped Yang from her feet and sent her tumbling backward into a wall. Despite her best efforts, she felt angry tears sting at the corners of her eyes. This was it, then. She was going to die here.

_I'm sorry, Ruby!_

All at once, a harsh whistle burst through the hall.

"No!" a young voice called, carrying with it the weight of command. "Bad Beowolf! She's not for eating!"

Every single Grimm flinched as though they'd been physically struck. Even Yang wasn't immune to the sharp bark of anger.

The greatest of them whined and sketched an awkward step forward, only to to find itself blocked by yet another, smaller blur of black.

"Lucius!" A tan finger swatted its snout and this time, the beast didn't retaliate. "Down! I mean it! You sit _right now_ mister, or you won't get any treats!"

It was like flicking a switch; a single rebuke did more damage than she ever could and caused the creature to crash down onto its hind legs with a dull thud. Just seeing it reminded Yang of her new puppy. Poor Zwei, he couldn't hold a candle to this. As she looked on in disbelief, her rescuer stepped forward and seized the Beowolf by its ear.

"Now go sit in the corner and think on what you've done." he commanded.

Much to Yang's disbelief, the wolf whimpered. Actually whimpered. That settled it. She'd clearly died and gone to the afterlife because this was _not _happening. Not not not!

"Don't you talk back to me! Shoo!"

Reluctantly, the lead Beowolf slunk off, trailed by the rest of its fellows.

With them effectively dispatched, she finally found herself face to face with a boy barely a head taller than her, clad in fine black silk and combat boots. The contrast of it drew a small, hysteric chuckle from her. He saw it and frowned, blue eyes squinting as his whiskered cheeks dimple in quiet confusion. Huh. He was blond, too. Neat.

"Sorry about that." he smiled sheepishly. "They're a rambunctious bunch. So? I'm guessing Mom had you kidnapped, too?"

Yang blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice. Again for good measure. "Bwah?" she managed eloquently.

To his credit, the young boy barely batted an eyelash at her confusion. What the hell was this? He didn't look lost, afraid, or even sane for that matter. Any child should be, but he simply tilted his head at her like a curious fox. Perhaps he was one. He certainly had the whiskered cheeks for it. He made no move to approach her or threaten her in any way, so he couldn't be that bad, right?

Then again, Dad said Mom used to be bad. That was silly of course, Mom was, well, _Mom._ She wasn't strange like auntie Summer, and Yang had nothing but fond memories of her.

"I'll take _that_ as a yes." Abruptly, his frown shattered into a sunny smile. "Lemme guess, crazy guy with a scorpion tail?"

"Scorpion...? Oh!" Realization dawned and Yang snapped her fingers at him. "That's the one."

Tan hands stabbed into his pockets. "That'd be Uncle Tyrian. Sorry about him."

Yang's head continued to spin. "Uncle...?"

"Eh," just like that, his expression turned sheepish. "Look, I'm really sorry about this n' all, but I think this is a big misunderstanding." as she looked on he looped both arms behind his head. "I think my mom kinda got the idea in her head that I was lonely. That I needed friends, ya know? Said it was important for me "development" or something." he added when her head bobbed in reluctant agreement. "Sooo...that's probably why this happened. Don't worry, I'll make sure she brings you back." he offered her his hand. "Wanna play tag in the meantime?"

"Here?!" Yang balked. "What about the Grimm?!"

"Eh, its fine." he shrugged. "They like me."

_"That's not normal!"_

"Normal?" Naruto blinked. "Neither am I. Dad keeps saying that. Are you normal?"

To be fair, Naruto had no way of knowing the button he'd just pressed. Even as a child Yang loathed the idea of normality. Normal people were weak. Normal folk couldn't fight back. What was ordinary anyway? She had a pair of kickass parents, ad awesome uncle, and an even _more _awesome aunt. Her cousin could run at super speed for crying out loud! She never wanted to be normal. Not now, not ever.

"Well...no!" She flailed her arms at him in a fit of pique. "I'm anything but normal, buster! I'm Yang Xiao-Long for crying out loud! I'm awesome and...

_Boop._

Lilac eyes widened as Naruto swatted her on the nose. She froze.

_...now you're it."_

He bolted before she could deny it.

Yang made her decision in an instant. _"Come back here!"_

**A/N: Read this, please!**

**I did tell you all that there would be changes.**

**First off, as evidenced by the chapter above this note, Raven never left in this story. She stayed with Tai. As a result, SumerxTai never happened. Ruby is the child of Summer and Qrow in this story, making her and Yang cousins. More changes to come.**

**No, I haven't forgotten Little!Blake, you'll see her again...**

**Its easy to see Naruto and Yang tearing things up as kids. They strike me as the type.**

**I'm trying to put up a brave front here, but its hard. I'm genuinely worried by the state of the world as of late. I think you all know what I mean by that. Between the virus and the riots and a certain election coming up, it feels like everyone's gone mad. There are even riots here. So yeah, I think I'm just gonna hide out until this all blows over. Perhaps that makes me a coward, but I have family to look after. Sorry if I'm rambling, but my health**

**On the plus side it gives me more time to write. So that's a thing.**

**T_T**

**Soooooo in the Immortal Words of Atlas...****Review, Would You Kindly?**

**Next chapter shall be titled Red and White. Gee, wonder what that's about~?**

**Reviews keeps this sickly man alive. Without them, I'll just vanish into the void. Poof. Gone.**

**So here, have a preview while I rest and recover. Writing/updating this rapidly really takes a lot out of me...**

**(Previews)**

_"What, its just fish. Did you want it that badly?"_

_Blake all but perked up._

* * *

_...why have you brought us here?"_

_"My, my, my! Aren't you two just precious~? Well done, Tyrian."_

_Little Winter was a credit to the Schnee name; she barely batted an eyelash in the face of this terror. __Not so Weiss. The poor girl yelped and dove behind her sister for shelter. Salem restrained a small smile at the sight of her blatant terror. Fear was all well and good, but she hadn't dragged them to the Grimmlands for the sake of terror now, had she? Oh look, the elder Schnee was glaring at her now. Such a temper. Such...defiance. She'd make a fine bride someday for her boy. No! Bad Salem! Now was not the time for such thoughts...tempting though they were._

_"Moooom!" Naruto groaned. "Not again!"_

_"Oooh!" Ruby's head poked over his shoulder. "Who're they?"_

_She smiled at her Favorite. Such a sweet, sensible girl. So eager to visit. "Why, they're new friends...we'll return them to their home soon. You have my word."_

**EDIT: Didn't expect that one now, did you? *grins* Yup, that just happened. Only a child-like Ruby could possibly win over Salem. Only our Ruby. Only her.**

**R&R~!**


	5. White and Red

_**A/N: PLEASE READ THIS NOTE, WOULD YOU KINDLY?**_

**And now we get a Naruto POV chapter, as requested.**

**Trolls all over the reviews in every story again... Kinda hoping they'd stop by now...can't we just have peaceful dialogue?**

**What would you like to see updated next? Untraveled Road? Partners in Crime? Wolf in Sheep's Clothing? Something else, perhaps? By all means, let us know! Because in this chapter, we flip the dynamic somewhat. ****For instance, in "An Untraveled Road" we get to see Little!Cinder being raising by Naruto. Here? Shoe's on the other foot. Little!Naruto getting trained up by Cinder. That sort of thing.**

**He's grown on her, the little bastard.**

**And of course, Naruto being Naruto...well...**

**Read on to see what I mean. Had a good laugh writing this.**

**As ever, I don't own aaaaaany references, quotes, themes or memes. **

**I only use them to help folks smile here and there. Now then, I hope ya enjoy~!**

**Minor timeskip of a few days ahead, but that's a given, seeing as what happened last chapter...**

_"Be glad that boy has a gentle heart...if he didn't...well. You'd have a bad time."_

_~?_

**White and Red (Interlude?)**

_Naruto was beginning to think his family weren't quite right._

Not that was one to judge; he was only a child and already a few pages short of a novel himself. It wasn't even a sudden epiphany the boy had while meditating but rather something he'd gradually come to realize over time. Salem -Mom!- had forged for herself a gallery of rogues and forced them to work with one another under penalty of death. Of course there would be some...clashes. This wasn't their fault of course, and he loved them all the same, but even he could see they were a dysfunctional bunch.

And it all began with his parents.

Mom was the indestructible queen of the Grimm for crying out loud. She kidnapped children for what she called "playdates" and often sent them home quivering wrecks when they refused. Most did. Yang seemed to be the exception to that rule, but he wasn't sure he'd be seeing her much after the fit her mother had thrown. Ruby was nice, though, and she came over just about every weekend. All thanks to the personal portals of one Raven Branwen, glorified taxi service that she was. Ha! Dad was awesome, bullying her into that.

Dad was an immortal with a caffeine addiction who leaped from one body to the next when he died. Mom said he was thirsty. Naruto didn't know what that meant.

Then came his uncles.

Uncle Hazel _loathed_ Ozpin for reasons Naruto didn't quite understand, but there could be no denying that he was a fighter through and through. Even then he was prone to strange fits of whimsy and melancholy that the boy couldn't quite bring himself to understand. Still, he'd taught him to fight and for that the muscled man deserved some leeway.

Uncle Watts was ever trying to manipulate things -both inside and outside of the Tower!- to his advantage. Eccentric didn't even begin to describe him. Ah, but Uncle Arthur had taught him the gift of subterfuge. A subtle word here, a nudge there, and people would fall over themselves to do your bidding. Power plays. Schemes. Plots. Coups. That sort of thing. The reverse was also true, although the scientist admitted it begrudgingly. You could use words to _keep_ people from fighting. Naruto would happily admit that he took to Arthur's lessons like candy after that.

Tyrian was...well, Tyrian.

At first, Naruto wasn't really sure what he was supposed to learn from him. Ambush tactics? How to be scary? Terror? No. Fear. He didn't like scaring people, but sometimes words didn't work. Sometimes, it was better to cow an enemy into submission than kill them. So he reluctantly learned those lessons as well.

Which brought him back to his main point. Crazy! The lot of them!

Honestly, he was beginning to think his Big Sis was the only sane one of the bunch! Even _then_ Cinder had a lust for power longer than a country mile.

He was still gonna marry her someday of course, but it needed to be said.

Mom said that if you liked a girl, you had to marry her. Naruto believed her wholeheartedly. Why would she lie to him? Such was the unassailable trust that only a child could possess. Waitaminute. Naruto liked Ruby. She was younger than him to be sure, but once she'd gotten over her fears, he found he'd grown rather fond of her visits. Blake was okay, too, he supposed. Just really skittish. She still hadn't left her room. Did that mean he had to marry them, too? But he liked Cinder more! So what did that mean?

He had to pick one...right?

"Ugh." he clutched his head with a frown. "Confusing thoughts. Why are girls so complicated?"

_"Are we?"_

A pair of curved swords swept at his head from the shadows, forcing him to duck lest he lose his head. Anyone else would have cried out in fear. Naruto had grown used to such ambushes long ago. He tucked his chin into his chest, leaned forward, and rolled out of harms way. All those stray thoughts burned away in the fiery wake the blades left behind.

In pitch blackness such as this, they were impossible to miss.

Springing to his feet, he caught a flicker of golden eyes in the dimly lit room and smiled despite himself. When his attacker came for him again he lunged forward into their guard, slapped both hands against the flat edge of their weapons to drive them out of his path, and lashed out with an open palm. A startled hiss and a crackle of Aura greeted him and his hear soared with triumph. But only for a moment.

Then a heel planted itself against his chest and he flew backward.

Naruto grunted in surprise as the breath burst from his lungs. His body went skipping across the darkened room. Something twisted painfully in his shoulder, but he forced himself to his feet. Just as well, because his foe showed him no mercy. They were on him again in a heartbeat, forcing him to dodge away from another blazing trail of flame. He saw it, evaded, and tagged them a second time, driving his elbow into where he was _sure _their ribs would be.

This time, there could be no mistaking the gasp of pain.

_"Enough!"_

All at once, the lights snapped back on, flooding the dim room with light. Naruto flung up an arm and squinted against it; and it was in that moment that his adversary. A crimson blur swept low, knocked his legs out from under him to send him sprawling to the mat. When he tried to rise, they planted a heel on his chest. A sword tickled the underside of chin a heartbeat later, forcing his head up to meet a pair o blazing amber orbs.

"Yield." it was a command. Not a request.

Naruto blew out an irritated breath and raised his hands. "I give."

Cinder Fall gazed back at him, waiting for any sign of deceit. When it didn't come, she looked almost dissapointed.

The sword fled from his throat and he growled.

"No fair. Thought I had you."

"You did." Cinder granted as she pulled him up. "But you're still weak. I barely felt that."

More a dojo than anything else, this place served as a combat space for spars, a simple arena to test ones self.

Cinder seemed to make it her personal mission to knock him around it every day until he saw stars. That, or passed right out.

Though she was only a few years older than him, Naruto still didn't understand how she fought in that red dress of hers, let alone moved in that damn thing. When it came to combat, Cinder didn't just fight. Calling it that would've been an insult. She danced. Every move was power and grace, elegance personified. There wasn't a single wasted movement. It made him jealous. He was fast, faster than most even, but she always moved with a poise that he lacked. He was trying to learn it, but it took time. Everything did these days.

"And what have we learned today?" she tilted her head, dark hair falling over a golden eye.

Naruto sulked and scuffed one boot against the mat. "That 'm still faster than you?" he mumbled.

"You are." she nodded, "But as I've told you time and time again, speed means nothing...

...if you're not strong enough to back it up." Naruto recited, finishing for her.

"You remembered." she hummed. "Good."

Of course he remembered. His Big Sis had drilled the words into him with every lesson. She was in charge of his combat training, after all. Hazel may have taught him the art of hand to hand, but it was from _Cinder _whom he learned the art of evasion and moreover, weapons. He still hadn't chosen one for himself. Wasn't sure he ever would at that. He preferred his fists.

"You're making that face again." she swatted him on the nose, drawing a black look from the blond. "A prince does not pout."

"I know, I know." Naruto bounded away when she snapped her blades together to form a bow.

"Do you?" Cinder's shot passed perilously close to his cheek. "You are Salem's only son. Her heir." she snapped off another, and a third before he finally caught one of her arrows and sent it snarling back at her, forcing her to take her blades apart and disengage. "Your mother has enemies in every corner of the world, in every kingdom. Mighty enemies" she locked her blades and flared her Semblance, pelting him with a hail of molten glass. "You must be strong if you are to face them. You mustn't show weakness. You mustn't retreat. Things will not always be as they are now."

An idea dawned in the back of Naruto's head.

"You said I'm weak right now," He began slowly.

"I did, yes." Cinder conceded warily. "We've established that."

"So!" Blue eyes blazed up at hers, "If I get stronger, you'll marry me?"

"If such a day comes." She indulged him with a smile. "You'd have to defeat me, first."

"Promise?" he held out his pinky finger.

Golden eyes rolled in irritation, but she clasped it anway. "Oh, very well...there. Are you satisfied?"

Yes! Victory! A blaze of triumph burned through Naruto like an inferno as he dodged back, grinning all the while. He couldn't help but notice that said grin instantly set Cinder on edge. She suspected something. Ha! Too bad! She'd made a promise. Naruto still grinned. He was getting stronger every day; he knew it, she knew it, they all knew it. He'd be able to beat her by the time he was grown. He just knew it. One day, she'd eat those words.

"So...another round?"

"No." Cinder made a show of inspecting her nails. "You're mother's brought more friends for you to play with. Run along, now."

Naruto was out the door like an arrow loose from a bow. "Not again!"

He was in such a hurry to leave that he failed to notice the slow flush creeping up the back of Cinder's neck. Why would he? Even if he had, if he'd dared to comment on it, she would've beaten him black and blue in their next spar. In his haste, he blazed on ahead, and as such failed to hear her words.

But an impish spark had him pausing. Turning. Spinning on a heel.

"Say if I married you, wouldn't that make you a princess...?"

Cinder absolutely sputtered. "Insolent child...!

He bolted before she could catch him.

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

_Salem wanted to squeal._

They were just too precious!

...why have you brought us here?"

If she didn't have an image to maintain, she would've rushed forward and squeezed the two children before her. They were that adorable. Frankly, she'd been about ready to give up. After all the fuss Ozpin had made after her last...endeavor, she'd had to make several concessions for appearances sake. That horrid woman had raised such a stink about having her daughter kidnapped. Bah! As if she intended to keep the poor girl forever! Did she think her a monster?

She might be Queen of the Grimm, but she had her principles.

So she'd waited until he left. Then she did it again. From a different kingdom this time.

"My, my, my! Aren't you two adorable~?" she cooed at the two sisters as they cowered before her. "Well done, Tyrian."

"I live to serve, my queen!"

"Yes, well, you can serve me by being elsewhere now." she shooed. "Go check on dear Blake, would you? See if you can coerce her into leaving her room."

Tyrian, loyal servant that he was, proved all too happy to comply. Good. That left her alone with the girls.

Little Winter was a credit to the Schnee name; she barely batted an eyelash in the face of this terror. Not so Weiss. The poor girl yelped and dove behind her sister for shelter. Salem restrained a small smile at the sight of her blatant terror. Fear was all well and good, but she hadn't dragged them to the Grimmlands for the sake of terror now, had she? Oh look, the elder Schnee was glaring at her now. Such a temper. Such...defiance. She'd make a fine bride someday for her boy. No! Bad Salem! Now was not the time for such thoughts...tempting though they were.

"Why my dear girl, I've brought you here for

"Moooom!" Naruto's voice groaned as he barged into the room. "Not again! Who'd ya kidnap this time?!"

"Oooh!" Ruby's head poked over his shoulder as she rode on his back. "Who're they?"

Winter and Weiss balked at the newcomer. Ruby waved merrily.

Salem smiled at her Favorite. Such a sweet, sensible girl. So eager to visit, once she'd overcome her fears. Really, having her around was a boon, even if Ozpin had been loathe to allow her to visit, but she hand't yielded in the least. One child for another. Those had been her terms. Hmm. Now that she gave the matter some thought of it, she'd much rather have this sweet young child around them rather than a rowdy blond dragging her son into mischief.

"Why, they're new friends...we'll return them to their home in a day or so. You have my word."

Her son snorted at that remark; he knew her well enough. "Like you returned Blake?"

Salem sniffed. Already talking back. They grew up so fast...!

**A/N: Read this, please!**

**Ohohoho, Little!Naruto has his heart set on someone...**

**First off, Ruby will get her own chapter. That's a given. Now, then.**

**I need some help. Everything's plotted out already, but the gang and I can't decide on a weapon for Naruto. Gauntlets feel like they'd be two on the nose. HELP!**

**In any case, there we have it. Folks wanted an interlude with Naruto and cinder, more aptly, one from our boy's point of view. Hope you're ready for more silliness and shenanigans, because the plot is about to get started soon. How soon? Sooner than you might think.**

**Soooooo in the Immortal Words of Atlas...****Review, Would You Kindly?**

**Reviews keeps this sickly man alive. Without them, I'll just vanish into the void. Poof. Gone.**

**So here, have a preview while I rest and recover. Writing/updating this rapidly really takes a lot out of me...**

**(Previews)**

_"What did Lionheart do this time?!"_

* * *

_"Don't swim in a Grimm Pool!" Weiss wailed._

_"Huh? Why not?"  
_

_"You're hair's gone white!"_

_"Hmm? It has? Neat. Guess it matches yours. Don't worry, it'll change back..._

* * *

_"What did he say?"_

_Ozpin sighed. "I believe the phrase, __Death to all Grimm!"__ was uttered._

_"Did he, now?" Salem chuckled. "Oh, that's adorable. I'll have to pay him a visit."_

_"Salem, no."  
_

_"Salem! Yes! He threatened my baby."_

**R&R~!**


	6. Red Like Roses

_**A/N: PLEASE READ THIS NOTE, WOULD YOU KINDLY?**_

**Remember, humor driven story, but there is a plot beneath it all.**

**EDIT: Ruby's freakin' precious to write in this little fic, especially as a youngster.**

**DOUBLE EDIT: My blasted computer broke down, which delayed this somewhat. Thankfully I had a backup prepared. **

**Still, it stressed me out right and proper until I could fix everything, and that really wasn't a good start to my day. However! Now that I've addressed that little matter, my team and I can finally do what we've been panning for quite some time now. ****Now we can finally break into the proper plot for this little story. Now we enact our grand plan. I really, really, REALLY want to say it here, but to do so would spoil things. So I'll just leave you with this quote for now.**

**To quote a certain Sith, I've waited a looong time for this.**

**As ever, I don't own aaaaaany references, quotes, themes or memes. **

**I only use them to help folks smile here and there. Now then, I hope ya enjoy~!**

**Minor timeskip of a few days ahead, but that's a given, seeing as what happened last chapter...**

_"It always starts with one, I've found. One decision. One pebble cast into the ocean. One ripple left behind. Somewhere, somewhen, somehow, that __ripple eventually creates a wave, which in turn becomes a mighty flood, sweeping all before it. __Now, some fools might could be say such a flood is something to be feared, but no! I disagree. A flood brings destruction, certainly, but in its wake it leaves new life. __And you, my child? You are that flood. That wave. That tiny pebble, the very impetus of change. You're but the first of many, a harbinger of things to come. You...embody destruction, yet also creation._

_You are the perfect vessel."_

_~Merlot._

**Red Like Roses**

_The door eased open on rusty hinges, spilling light into her bedroom._

Blake watched it all as she hunched into the corner of her room like a frightened kitten, ready to bolt at the slightest provocation. If that madman had come to visit again, she swore she'd scratch his eyes out. But no, this shadow was smaller by comparison, less lanky, and devoid of the mad cackling that often accompanied the arrival of Tyrian Callows. Somehow not knowing the identity of her guest, made things worse. Much worse. Panic flared in her little heart, sending it hammering as the footsteps drew closer.

The faunus pushed herself deeper into the corner, dreading this uncertainty.

Blake hated it here. Hate, hate, hated it! Everything was cold and dark and miserable and there were Grimm and scary adults around every corner. She wanted to go home! How could anyone be happy here?! Those other girls were crazy; she was beginning to think she was only sane one left here!

Of course, she failed to realize that if she'd simply held her tongue and behaved, she would've been whisked back to Menagerie ages ago. She would have been in her mother's arms by now. It was only her own stubborn nature and blatant defiance that kept her locked here in her room. It was her fault and hers alone, though she knew it not. Such is the mind of a child.

A familiar face poked inside and those thoughts shattered. "Hey, there. Long time no see."

Blake blinked, taking in a tan face framed by blue eyes, whiskered cheeks, and a shaggy mane of blond hair. Nope. Not Tyrian. Definitely not Tyrian. She released a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding and immediately realized how that might look. She remembered this one, but not his name. She'd never thought to ask and she didn't dare do so now. So she tucked her knees into her chest and refused to look at him. If he wanted her attention he'd have to earn it.

If he was bothered by her recalcitrance, the newcomer didn't show it. He just...walked into the room, lantern in hand.

Blake spotted the tray balanced on his other palm immediately thereafter. A warm tuna melt awaited her atop it, fresh and steaming. The aroma slammed into her like a physical thing, and her stomach growled despite her best efforts to curtail her hunger. Curiosity and hunger broke through the wall of her resistance and she caught herself reaching for it. She grabbed her arm and wrenched it back down.

Damn him. Was he trying to tempt her? She hadn't touched food nor drink in days and she was starving. But fear kept her from eating. She'd already been kidnapped by that lunatic; what if he tried to poison her? What if this was all some elaborate plan to drug her? Paranoia had her heart gripped in its claws and refused to let go.

He came to a halt in the center of the room, not a step further.

"I'm not sure if you remember me." her host drawled slowly, words bouncing off the sparse room. "We didn't exactly get off on the right foot."

_That was putting it lightly!_

"I'm Naruto, by the way." he continued amicably, heedless of her fear. "You're...Blake, right? I brought you some food. Uncle Tyrian told me you weren't eating."

Aha! So this boy was in league with that madman after all!

...didn't want to." she mumbled. "Don't trust him."

"Don't blame ya." he dared a step forward.

She skittered back. "No! Stay away!"

"Alright, alright." Naruto stopped dead in his track, set the tray down on the floor, and raised both hands in a placating gesture. "I'm sorry." he said. "Just relax. See? I'm stepping back. I didn't mean to spook you. I won't come any closer if you don't want me to."

Golden eyes strayed back to the foot on the tray.

"Where did you get that?" her words were a dry whisper. "Is it from the kitchens?"

"Made it myself." the boy beamed. "Hazel taught me how to cook. He's surprisingly good at it, you know."

Hazel. She knew that name. The muscled one. Tall. Scary. Silent. This was another trick. It had to be. Someone that terrifying couldn't _possibly_ know how to cook. He probably ate his meat raw, the fiend! Paranoia reared its ugly head once more, filling her with irrational fear. And yet her stomach growled.

"Its safe." her host reassured her. "You have my word."

Blake didn't dare move.

"Oh, for the love of...even Cardin wasn't this twitchy. Here. Look." he bit off a tiny piece of the sandwich, popped into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. A moment passed. Then another. "See?" he dared a small smile as he spread his arms to either side of himself. "Not poisoned. Feel better now?"

When he placed one foot against the tray and nudged it forward, her fingers twitched. Just a touch. Just a hair. He pushed it closer, still not daring to approach. A keening noise forced itself through Blake's teeth. Still, she shook her head fiercely. No! She was strong! She was mighty! She'd not fall for his tricks! She...she...was starving...

Hunger won out and she pounced on the tray.

Thin hands scrabbled for the sandwich and stuffed it into her mouth before she could second guess herself. If this was to be her last meal, then at least she'd die with a full stomach. She prepared herself for the bitter bite of poison, but it never came. Instead, her taste buds sang. It was the best thing she'd ever tasted and it broke something in her.

In hindsight, Blake wasn't sure when or why the tears came, only that they did. Stinging water welled up in her golden eyes with every bite and soon enough they spilled over her ran down her cheeks. She started to sob between bites, a soft hiccuping sound left to echo in the empty room.

"Is it that bad?" her host grimaced.

"No...its good...!"

"Oh." blue eyes blinked back at her. "I can get you another, if you like?"

Blake nodded fitfully and dared to look at him. One sandwich wasn't enough. Now that it had been fed, her stomach craved more.

This close, she could see there was something off about Naruto's eyes, as though they couldn't quite decide whether they wanted to be red or proper blue. One moment they were azure, the next they seemed to shimmer into shades of scarlet rimmed by black sclera. They almost _glowed_ in the faint light, dancing in the dim flames provided by the lantern.

And yet she didn't feel any fear when she looked at them now. He didn't look at her with pity or scorn, but rather bemused patience. Not a captor, or even a host, but like an older brother watching over her, shepherding her from harm.

The thought struck her as odd, yet also welcome. She'd always wanted a brother.

"You don't have to be afraid of this place anymore." A hand came down on her shoulder and she nearly jumped out of her skin. "You wanna go home, don't you?"

Her heart caved and Blake latched onto him. A small shudder shook her tiny body.

Naruto hummed softly as he stroked the small of her back.

_"There, there." he sighed. "You're gonna be alright..._

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Ruby's fingers pounded out a steady rhythm against the dining table as she impatiently waited for her friend to return. The sound echoed loudly in the tower like a drumbeat, folding in endlessly on itself without end. Still, she continued to tap her fingers across the table's surface, not caring for the noise she made. Bored. So bored. Terribly, horribly bored. Naruto had asked her to wait here for him, and so wait she would, but did he have to take so long? An hour had already passed! And to the tapping continued.

"Would you kindly stop that?!" Weiss snapped.

"Nah." Ruby grinned and stuck her tongue out. "Don't wanna."

"You're being a child!" a finger jabbed her in the head, seeking her brain matter.

"Um...so are you?" she countered quickly. "We're both the same age. Stop trying to act like an adult."

_That_ shut the younger Schnee up. Bah. Prissy princess. She'd warm up eventually. Maybe they could be friends then.

Weiss Schnee was many things; loud, snappish, and currently frightened out of her mind. Unlike her elder sister, she hadn't adjusted well to her new surroundings. If anything, the shock of being brought to Salem's tower had caused the girl to regress somewhat. She was accustomed to a strictly regimented environment, not the unique brand of "chaos" brought on by Naruto's mother.

Winter was alright, though. Kinda stuffy at times, but Ruby knew her heart was in the right place. Unlike her younger sister, Winter had taken things in stride and adapted quickly, if only because her continued cooperation ensured they would both be returned home all the sooner. She'd taken treating Salem like a business partner and the Queen had indulged her.

'Sides, Naruto liked her. That made her alright in Ruby's book.

Naruto and Winter had forged something of an awkward alliance after their first meeting; as they were older than the rest, both had taken it upon themselves to look after everyone else. For now "everyone else" consisted of mostly herself and Weiss. Blake didn't come out to play yet. Ruby had only seen her once, but she'd sealed herself in her room since, refusing any and all contact. Poor thing...

"Ruby," Winter didn't look up from her book, "Don't be rude to Weiss."

"Kay~!" she sang back, knowing full well what was coming next. Any moment now...!

"And the same applies to you, dear sister." Aha! There it was! "We are guests here. Behave yourself."

Weiss made a choking sound and Ruby stifled a smirk behind the palm of her hand. Gotcha. Victory for team Ruby!

For at the end of the day, Ruby Rose was a clever girl_. _Oh, some might call her awkward or socially inept, perhaps even shy at times, but no! They were wrong. She was smart! She was fast! She drank milk! So what if she wasn't good at talking to people?! She had a scythe...well, she would, when she was older. Better yet she accepted Salem as only an innocent could.

Mother of all evil? Give her a cookie.

Queen of the Grimm? Just give her _another_ cookie.

Destruction incarnate? No problem! More cookies solved everything!

And to think, Mom hadn't wanted her to meet miss Salem. Phooey! Salem was harmless. She'd never raised a hand to any of them; it was like having one big sleepover. She kept saying she was her favorite. Something about marriage, too. What did marriage mean? Was it something you could eat? A treat, maybe? Eh, probably wasn't important. Ruby knew what she liked and who she liked, and she'd decided she liked it here.

She _liked_ Naruto.

He was cool. He didn't mind her crippling shyness, wasn't thrown off by her love of all things weapons, and actively encouraged her speak her mind whenever they met. So what if he was a little weird? Bah! She was weird too! They were all weird! Yang didn't know what she was missing. Or maybe she did. Maybe that was why she wasn't happy with Raven being a mother hen. Heh. Raven. Mother hen. Bird puns.

A hand waved before her face, bringing her up short. "You alright there, short-stack?"

"Hmm?" Ruby blinked, drawn away from her scattered thoughts for a moment. Silver eyes narrowed as the rest of his words caught up with her. "Hey!" She batted Naruto's hand away. "I'm not short! I'm still growing!"

Her friend beamed back at her, much the same as he'd been an hour ago. But this time he wasn't alone, she realized. Even with his height it was impossible to miss the individual shadowing him, nor the white-knuckled fingers wound within his and holding for dear life. Ruby perked up at once, anger overwhelmed by curiosity...then recognition.

"Ooh!" she cried! "Is that who I think it is?!"

"This is Blake." Naruto gestured to the girl peeking out behind him. "She's had a bit of a rough time here. Everyone be nice to her, would you?"

"Sure!" Ruby chirruped happily. "We'll be besties~!"

"As you say, then." Winter didn't look up from her precious book.

All eyes turned to Weiss. The little Schnee blew out a sigh. "Oh, if I must...

"There you have it." Naruto prodded Blake forward. "See, I told you they were harmless?"

For her part, the poor faunus looked between the four of them as if they were insane. Ruby giggled at the thought. They really were, weren't they? What was the saying Uncle Qrow liked to use? We're all mad here? Yeah! That was the one. Any sane person would've broken long ago. Constant exposure to Salem and her minions tended to to that to you. Maybe that was why Weiss was still being so prickly. Somewhere deep down, she was still trying to rationalize this. Where was the fun in that?

"Wanna play outside?"

Ruby lit up when Naruto made the offer. How could she not? A chance to stretch her legs and run around without crashing into everything?! Best idea ever!

"You mean outside the tower?! Heck yes!"

"I don't know." Weiss arched an eyebrow. "Is...is that safe?"

"Not at all." Naruto grinned. "But since when have we let that stop us?"

"Hmm." Winter reluctantly closed her novel and climbed to her feet. "Fair enough, I suppose...

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

_"Geronimo!"_

Naruto darted forward without so much as a second though, leaped into the air, and dove feet first into the black waters below. Somewhere behind him he heard Ruby squawk in surprise, but he ignored her and let gravity take him. Inky blackness enveloped him as he plunged into the pools depths, shrouding him in shadow and strength.

It felt like coming home.

A small smile plucked at his whiskered cheeks as he held his breath and welcomed the change. As ever, it came on easily once he allowed it. Blue eyes darkened and pulsed into slitted scarlet as his flesh lost its tan and became like ash. Blond hair lost its healthy pallor as it slid back into a ghostly shade of white. His veins burned with icy power as the tips of his fingernails sharpened into claws. He felt the Grimm in the water around him react to his presence; some still nameless, others yet formless, but alerted by him all the same.

Something massive rose from the depths to meet him, red eyes glowing in the black.

Naruto felt no fear. The leviathan wouldn't hurt him. It never had.

Why would they? He was one of them, after all.

_'Whose a good girl?'_ he sent pleasant thoughts at the Grimm as ran a hand against the beast's scaly hide. _'You're just a big softie, aren't you! Here, let me scratch that itch..._

A sonorous trill greeted him underwater and with a rush of motion, the beast plunged back to the depths. Naruto watched it go with a grin.

Here in the pool, it was impossible to hide his true nature. What he was. Rather, what he had chosen to become. He'd fallen in years ago through some mishap or another that he couldn't remember. To this day, he wasn't sure how it had happened, only that Salem refused to speak of it. Still, he'd come out the better for it. The power boost and change in appearance was a welcome side effect, so far as he was concerned. It made him look like his mother whenever he wanted. That was something he'd always wear with pride.

A quick butterfly kick sent him shooting back to the surface once again with a muffled splash and he shook his head, clearing water from his eyes.

"Are you mad?!" Weiss's voice greeted him almost immediately from the cliffs above. "Do you have any idea what's in there?!"

"Grimm, of course!" he called back, treading the dark water with ease. "Its fine! They're harmless!"

"To you, maybe!" Blake scowled down. "Your hair's gone white!"

"Hmm? It has?" he feigned ignorance for her sake. "Neat. Guess it matches yours. Don't worry, it'll change back, always does...

And he always did.

Looking back, it wasn't something he could rightly explain. His body knew who he was or what he was _meant_ to be, and he always reverted to his human form given time. His Grimm side only ever showed when he willed the transformation to come...and rarely, when he lost control of his emotions. Thankfully he had a firm grasp on those these days. Why wouldn't he? He was happier than he'd ever been. He had friends. He had family. A nice, simple life, with no complications. What more could a child ask for?

"Is it safe down there?" Ruby asked.

"Sure!" He shouted up. "The Grimm won't hurt you. They know better by now."

Ruby needed no further encouragement from there; by the time he'd finished, he was still speaking when she started making her way down. Winter led Blake and Weiss behind her, carefully navigating the rocky terrain as they crept closer toward the bubbling pools. Naruto paddled his way toward the shallows to join them.

_Without warning, the world shook._

There could be no other word for it; one moment all was well and he was grinning up at Weiss and the others. The next, it wasn't.

With an ear-splitting roar the earth ruptured and upended itself with a shower of explosive dust, producing an almighty crack that left everyone half-deafened and reeling. Naruto didn't see what caused it, but he certainly _heard_ it all the same. His head whipped toward the sound, just in time to witness a rising plume of smoke to the northeast. Had someone crashed? Ozpin -Dad!- wasn't due to visit for at least another month and they'd not been expecting visitors. So then who...?

Above him, he heard a shout as Weiss lost her footing; as the once sturdy stone she'd been standing on crumbled away underfoot.

She pitched forward into the open air with a short gasp, pale blue eyes widening in mute horror. Ruby vanished in a cloud of crimson petals and intercepted her, spinning her back into Winter's arms. The pair exchanged a grateful look and exchanged words between them, but at this distance he couldn't quite hear what was said between them.

"Phew." she grinned. "That was close, yeah?"

Then the ground buckled beneath _her._

Naruto watched the disaster unfold in slow motion, helpless to do anything but watch. Blake and grabbed at the smaller girl in turn, fingers finding Ruby's hood and biting deep. The worn fabric held, giving Winter time enough to latch onto her in turn, anchoring them in place. Weiss latched onto her sister, heels digging into the rocky crag in a desperate attempt to find balance.

"I'm alright!" Ruby shouted down. "Thanks. For a second I thought I really was gonna-

Her hood tore in Blake's weak grasp and sent the startled Faunus crashing backward into Winter and Weiss with little more than a handful of red cloth. Bereft of balance and unable to stop herself, Ruby fell into the abyss with a yelp, arms failing. Silver eyes widened in surprise, then shock, followed by fear.

"Crap, crap, craaaap! Somebody catch me, please!"

To his credit, Naruto tried to do just that.

Against all odds, he succeeded.

Ruby landed in his arms sure enough and her Aura held marvelously. He thought he heard her squeak out a thank you. Alas, he failed to anticipate her momentum. Tiny though she was, she struck him dead in the chest and in the pool's black embrace, he had nothing to brace himself against. Her impact sent them both spinning into deeper water and his head went under. Naruto had just enough time to choke down a bit of breath and hoist his arms high to try and keep her out of the pool.

It wasn't enough. He _felt _the moment his friend went under, like an angry spike in his brain.

Ruby thrashed in his grasp, crying out in surprise.

And his world went black.

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

Salem jerked upright from her throne, hissing as a sudden pain lanced through her skull.

Somewhere outside the tower, she heard the children scream.

_"What in the world?!"_

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

_Ruby opened her eyes to darkness._

Countless sights and sounds assailed her at once as she hung in the void. Monsters lurked in the shadows. Creatures, large and small. Grimm that could swallow her whole, and Grimm more numerous than the stars in the night sky and thrice as vicious. They watched her with their red eyes in the dark, silently judging her, assessing her worth. None attacked her. They simply...observed. A strange host of foreign emotions assailed her all at once and she gave a growl, pushing them, then the image away. Another one rushed in to take its place and she soon wished she hadn't.

Quite suddenly, she found a great and mighty dragon of the darkest violet looming over her. Oh, crap. Actual dragon. Real dragon!

It saw her. And she saw it. A giant limb thrust itself forward, touching her forehead with a dark claw.

The beast's maw parted in a ghastly grin.

**"And so it begins."**

Reality snapped back like a rubber-band and Ruby felt her lungs wail in pain as came back to herself.

_'Air!'_ they cried._ 'Need! AIR!'_

Something yanked her head to the surface and she broke through with a gasp, choking and retching. Black sludge clung to her body, weighing down her every movement, trying to keep her trapped in the pool. She fought it off, hissing and spitting like an angry cat until her arms were free. Sweet, blessed oxygen rushed through her and she could've wept, so sweet it was.

"Get her out!" someone cried! "Get her out of the water! Now!"

A strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist and another found her hand. She blinked blearily, trying to chase the shadows from her eyes, to no avail. She recognized the faces gazing down at her. Naruto? Winter? Had they jumped in to save her, too? Was that a good thing? Bad, maybe? She wasn't sure. Her thoughts skittered about like restless spiders in her head, and she couldn't master them. Likewise her body betrayed her, leaving her as weak and helpless as a newborn. She just wanted to sleep...

She barely even felt it when the older children hauled her onto dry land. Someone poked her. She growled.

"Ruby? Hey! Ruby." A tan hand patted her cheek. "Don't fall asleep on me now. Wake up!"

"Huh...whuzzat?" Fevered eyes blinked slowly. "Naruto...? What happened?"

She saw the relief in his eyes. "You fell. How do you feel?"

"Okay...I guess?" Ruby sat up and coughed, expelling an inky glob from her lungs. She shook her head to dispel the dizziness, accidentally flinging free a fresh bit of sludge out of her hair as she did so. "Pretty great." She frowned. Cracked her neck. Grinned. "Really great, actually! I feel like I could run a marathon!"

There was also a strange undercurrent of anger running through her, one she couldn't quite explain. Why? Why should she be angry? She pushed the strange feeling down, locked it in a box and buried it deep. She'd deal with it later...whatever it was. She was fine. Just fine. Nothing to worry about, her mind babbled. Nothing had changed.

"Winter!" Weiss cried out and dashed her enthusiasm on the rocky shore of reality. "Your arm!"

Ruby's head whipped around violently.

The elder Schnee held up her right limb, gone horribly pale where she'd delved it into the pool. Ruby winced. Oh. _Ohhh_ that couldn't be good. It looked all red and veiny, too. She was just about to ask what had happened when Blake turned around, got one good look at _her_ and shrieked. Weiss joined her.

"What's up?" Ruby's frown returned tenfold. "Why're you looking at me like that?"

"Y-Y-Your face!" the younger Schnee stammered.

"Huh? What about it?"

Judging by the horrified looks everyone gave her, all wasn't as it seemed. Only Naruto retained some semblance of calm, but even that seemed forced. His eyes flickered from blue to red and back again, but he helped her to her feet all the same.

With his aid, she stumbled over to the nearest puddle she could find and gazed into it.

Red eyes rimmed by black stared back at her, framed by a pale face and ashen hair. Huh? Who was that? That wasn't her. Her eyes were silver. Her hair was dark. And her complexion, while pale, wasn't quite that ghastly shade of gray. She didn't have red, pulsing veins near her eyes either. Whomever they were, they looked like a mini-Salem, albeit with short hair. As she looked on, those eyes silently shimmered into silver, then back into red. No, now they were silver again...now red...argh! Make up your mind!

That couldn't be her, right? No way was it her.

Ruby tilted her head. The stranger mirrored her actions.

She raised her hand a curled it into a fist. Her reflection copied the movement with keen precision.

A thunderclap of understanding slapped her upside the head. Ruby didn't scream. Screaming implied fear and despite all she'd been through, she wasn't _quite_ afraid of this sudden phenomenon. Really, she wasn't. But she _was _confused. She felt...well, not hungry, but full. Sated. As if two halves of a greater power had joined together. And in a sense, they had. She just didn't know it yet.

"Just take deep breaths." Naruto knelt beside her. "You'll probably change back in a few minutes. Hopefully."

She rounded on him. "I feel fine, though! See? Look!" Her arms flailed. "Fit as a fiddle."

"Ruby, you fell in a Grimm pool." Naruto frowned. "You shouldn't _be_ fine."

No, she was better than fine. She felt alive in a way she'd never known before. As if she'd been missing a piece of herself and only just now discovered it-no, more than that. She felt strong. A little unsettled, sure, but she wouldn't let that get to her. The anger came back again and she kicked it away with a growl.

There was something else too, something she'd failed to notice until this very moment.

For the first time in her young life Ruby found that she could _sense_ the Grimm nearby, feel their anticipation and excitement as if it were her own. A pack of Beowolves howled in the distance, their cries splitting the night one after the other. Once more a rush of emotion washed over Ruby, but this time she was able to separate herself from it, understand that it wasn't her own. Joy. Excitement. Still more joy. They were welcoming a new member to their pack. It was a strange, heady feeling. They were...happy? She didn't know Grimm could _be_ happy.

"Oh, wow." she blinked rapidly and touched a hand to her head. "That...that's a lot of Grimm...is this what you sense all the time? It feels weird."

"Wait." Bright blue eyes snapped her way. "You can feel them? You shouldn't be able to do that. That's a little concerning."

"I dunno, I just can." Ruby muttered. Like a whisper in the back of her head, not quite painful, but not comfortable either. A curious buzzing rose in her ears and she fought down a wince. Another pang of anger came on and she stomped it into oblivion. Why did she feel this way? Naruto wasn't being rude. He'd been nothing but nice to her...

"Oh, boy." she heard him swear suddenly. "You've got their attention now."

Ruby blinked. "Huh?"

A Beowolf all but burst from the pool they'd just vacated, black sludge flying from its body as it shook its mighty shoulders. It took one look at Ruby, and yipped. Actually _barked._ Blazing red eyes flitted between her and Naruto, unable to decide between the two of them for reasons Ruby couldn't understand. Naruto realized it first, the traitorous bastard, and actually chuckled as he took a sharp step back.

"Sure, go ahead." he gestured to Ruby. "Knock yourself out."

The beast's tail thrashed back and forth mightily and the silver-eyed maiden squeaked. "Eh?!

_"Aroooooooooo~!"_

Before poor Ruby had a chance to react, the beast launched itself at her with a howl and bore her down to the ground with mighty paws. She cried out, half expecting an attack, but none came. It didn't bite or try to hurt her. On the contrary, the creature proved downright gentle. Snuffling and sniffing, it rubbed its massive snout across her body, as though trying to place her scent. It reminded her of little Zwei, only far larger and much, _much_ heavier! She tried to push it back, only to be alarmed when she found she actually could. What the heck?! She hadn't been this strong before!

Then came the licking.

"Hey?! Blech! Stop, stop, stop!" Ruby giggled despite herself, flailing her hands as a rough wet tongue dragged across her face. "I said stoppit! No kisses! Down, boy! Sit!"

Incredibly, the beast planted its hindquarters into the ground. Unfortunately that left it it sitting on her chest.

_Hurk!_ Heavy dog! Veeeery heavy dog! Crushing her ribs!

Naruto snickered softly. Ruby scowled at him.

"Help! Get this thing offa me!"

"You heard her, pal." the blond finally intervened, laying a hand on the beast's back. "Give her some space, yeah?"

Realization broke like the coming dawn as Ruby pushed the wolf's snout away and finally found her footing again. Oh gods. Mom was gonna freak if she saw her like this. And dad! And Yang, too! She cast about, searching for aid. Blake looked like she'd gone into shock all over again from this mess. Weiss was no help at all, she was too busy fussing over Winter, while _Winter_ seemed to intent on glaring her altered arm to death. Winter was probably grappling with the same thing she was. That left Ruby with only one recourse.

"Quick! How do I change back?!" she hissed at Naruto.

Her friend offered a helpless shrug. "I...really don't know how to do it."

"Whaddya mean you don't know?!" Ruby flailed her arms at him. "You're the Grimm expert here!"

"It means I don't, alright?!" a rare look of panic flashed across his face. "I'm a special case! It always wears off for me! Just calm down."

Ruby exhaled sharply, squeezed her eyes shut, and willed herself to relax. Her little shoulders slumped. Right. Calm. She could do that. Calm. Deep breaths. In and out. In. Ouuuut. This didn't bother her. Nope. Not a bit. It didn't bother her, it didn't bother her_...it bothered her a lot!_

"There has to be a way!" She hissed. "Please! Think!"

"Is it really so bad? I mean, you look good...

Ruby pinched his arm.

"Okay, okay." he recoiled, rubbing the welt she'd left him. "Lets try the reverse, here. When I change, I have to focus. Its a physical thing. Maybe the opposite will work for you." She nodded quickly, and he hastened into his explanation." Picture yourself in your mind's eye. Remember what you used to look like. I'm not sure if this'll work, but its worth a try, yeah?"

Okay. Focus. Normal. Silver eyes. Dark hair...

**"What's going on out here?!"**

_Nopenopenope_!

Ruby stiffened as a familiar voice called out to them; any sense of calm she might've clawed back evaporated in that moment. Weiss saw Salem approaching and immediately started shouting. Blake joined her a heartbeat later. Winter realized what was going on and hurried over to her side, yanking Ruby backward. Naruto stepped up beside her to flank the smaller girl, hiding her behind them as they squared up, shoulder to shoulder. They tried to hide her from prying eyes. They really, truly did...

"Nothing!" Naruto squawked.

"Not a thing, ma'am." Winter seconded.

...Salem was too quick for them and far too agile by half.

**"Nothing, you say?" **a pale brow rose as she reached the three of them.** "Then whatever is this?"**

The Queen of the Grimm must've known they were hiding something; that or she'd heard them shouting earlier. Regardless, she brushed past Naruto and Winter with ease. Ruby squeaked as a pale hand reached over her head, plucked her off the floor by the scruff of her ruined hood, and left her dangling in the air. Blazing red eyes bored into her own.

Salem took one look at her and arched an eyebrow. **"Oh, dear. What have we here?"**

"Ummm...sorry?" Ruby squeaked the word out.

Bloody scarlet orbs flicked down to Naruto. Back to Ruby. Then away to Winter, noticing her altered arm and the way she hid. Salem tensed, her lips set into a thin line of displeasure. Ruby tensed in her grasp, waiting for the outburst. Any second now. It was coming. She just knew it. Finally, Salem's gaze settled upon Naruto once more.

**"Sweetheart, when I told you I wanted grandchildren, this was _not_ what I had in mind.** **Although."** a pale finger settled on her chin as she contemplated the matter. **"I suppose you'll have to marry the poor girl now...or give her a kiss, at the very least."**

Ruby squeaked and turned seven shades of scarlet as she squirmed in Salem's grasp. Even _she_ knew what a kiss was.

"Eh?" Wait, what?" Naruto's face turned ashen._ "That...that's a joke, right?"_

**"Oh, and the Schnee as well. You've marked her, too."**

Willow made a choking noise.

Naruto groaned.

_"MOM!"_

**A/N: Read this, please!**

**Leave it to Salem to get the last word in. And yes, Yang will be back next chapter.**

**While the Grimm Pools have changed Ruby -and to a lesser extent Winter's right arm- they're still very much themselves. Their exposure in the pools proved brief, not at all prolonged like Salem's. Naruto's damn near immune to any of the effect, given his heritage and a certain furry friend.**

**Though the tag may well be humor, its also one of adventure. That's right, strange though it may seem this story has a plot, and we're finally getting into it. ****Clearly this changes things, and not in the way some might expect. Naturally, we'll see the fallout of it next chapter.**

**Kids just say the darndest things, don't they?**

**Soooooo in the Immortal Words of Atlas...****Review, Would You Kindly?**

**Reviews keeps this sickly man alive. Without them, I'll just vanish into the void. Poof. Gone.**

**So here, have a preview while I rest and recover. Writing/updating this rapidly really takes a lot out of me...**

**(Previews)**

_"Are you...alright?"_

_Winter shivered. Suddenly, she didn't look quite as confident as she remembered._

_"I'm afraid, Naruto. I don't want to become like her."_

* * *

_"What have you done to my baby?!"_

* * *

_Ruby lifted the table with one hand. Then she realized what she'd done and flailed helplessly with it._

_Naruto felt his spirits sink. "Right, so that's another side effect..._

* * *

_Cinder considered the pool of darkness before her. She'd seen what it had done to that slip of a girl. _

_Might it do the same for her?_

_Did she dare?_

* * *

_...and who is that?"_

_"Some madman calling himself Merlot."_

_"Mom, no." Naruto bristled. "I'm not letting him near Ruby."_

_"My dear boy, he understands the Grimm more than any other. And he's offered to serve us."_

_"Still don't trust him." Her son's stubbornness was adorable, truly. Another picture for the photo album, that one._

* * *

_"Are you alright? Quick, how many fingers am I holding up?!"_

_"Five, Yang." Ruby blew out a sigh._

_"How about now?!"_

_"Still five..._

**R&R~!**


	7. Mirror

_**A/N: PLEASE READ THIS NOTE, WOULD YOU KINDLY?**_

**EDIT: Yet again the flames outnumber the reviews. And you wonder why we aren't updating as fast anymore.**

**This chapter. Is nearly. Ten thousand words. And yet my team and I are getting bashed to hell for it because why...? We don't even understand and frankly we're tired of mentioning it. But this need to be said.**

**Without reviews, we don't write. Simple as that. Take that into mind before you hurl death threats over pairings.**

**Early update ahoy! ****Fair warning, this chapter gets intense. ****All aboard the feels train, now leaving the station! I say again, All aboard~! ****Now that we'be finally unleashed the proper plot of this story, so too have the gang and I released the romantic bits we've been holding back for the last few chapters. **

**Salem may have learned to relax a bit, but at the end of the day, she's still the Queen of the Grimm and she is in her element when it comes to manipulating people/steering them toward what she wants. Woe betide anyone who dares threaten her family. She'll eviscerate you. ****This chapter reflects that. ****I'd say more, but that be spoilers here. ****Falling into the Grimm Pool may have affected Ruby, but its affected a certain Schnee too...more than you might think.**

**Quote is a song reference, of course.**

**As ever, I own no quotes, references, themes or memes!**

_"Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Tell me, who is the loneliest one of all?"_

_~Winter._

**Mirror**

_"Are you alright?! _Quick, how many fingers am I holding up?!"

"Five, Yang." Ruby blew out a sigh.

"Well...how about now?!"

The girl twitched.

_"Still_ five...

Salem didn't laugh at the plight of little Ruby Rose as she reclined on her throne; no, certainly not. That would've been cruel of her, and she was anything but. Still she didn't intervene on Ruby's behalf, either. Why should she? There was something decidedly charming about watching the girl's sister -or were they cousins? Bah! So confusing, these bloodlines!- continue to fuss over her like a fine china doll. It almost reminded her of her first family, an age before. In a better time. A happier time. Before the darkness. Before...

Her right hand dug into the armrest, tearing bloody furrows into the stone as she fought down a destructive impulse.

Damn the Gods. Would they take this away from her, too? Would they shatter her happiness as they had once before. Would they...?!

A tan hand laid itself over her own, causing her anger to shrivel and die.

"I miss them, too." Ozpin -he would forever be Ozma to her!- breathed into her ear.

"Its hard." she admitted, watching the children below her. "When I see them, I can't help but think of ours. Naruto is lovely, as his friends, but..

His lips brushed the outer lobe of her ear and she sucked in a rare breath of surprise. "Then we'll have more."

Salem hadn't been stricken speechless for thousands of years. She was absolutely mute now.

"Excuse me?" For a fleeting instant, she almost felt human gain. "What was that?"

Ozma chuckled and leaned close to whisper into her ear.

"Well, I was thinking...

The Queen of the Grimm did not flush as her ex-husband threaded his fingers within hers and began to murmur sweet nothings to her. She was far, far, far above such temptation. She was terror. She was vicious. She was fear incarnate. Anyone who said otherwise was a liar, a cur, and a filthy good for nothing traitor. Anyone who saw her toes curl was surely spreading propaganda against her. Still, Salem didn't trust herself to words for a moment. She settled for leaning her head against his shoulder instead.

"Thank you." she hummed. "For listening to me, earlier."

"Of course." A soft chuckle greeted her ears. "How could I not? You were in quite the panic when you called me."

Salem's face burned as she slammed an elbow into his side. "You will tell _no one_ of that! Not a word!"

"Oomph!" The Headmaster grunted. "I swear, one of these days you're going to break me."

She granted him a lascivious grin. "You could always use a younger model."

There it was. _That_ was the expression she was looking for.

Vengeance was hers!

Ruby's...incident couldn't be kept secret, of course; no matter how much she might've wanted it to remain such in the beginning. Initially she'd wanted to hold off until Ruby and Winter could master themselves, but in the end, it just hadn't been feasible. It would take _years_ to gain the fine level of control she possessed.

No, Salem had endured all of three days before breaking the news to him. In turn, Ozma waited _three more days_ before he revealed the truth to the others. Only those he could trust. Those who wouldn't panic. Not like that Ironwood fellow. He'd have an aneurysm if he saw this. They might even face an invasion. If the world thought she was trying to taint humanity into something monstrous...well. That might be enough to unite them against her.

Once, Salem might've scoffed at such a thing. Now? An incursion was the last thing she wanted.

"Yaaaaaaang!" Ruby whined, drawing her attention. "Not the face! That huwts!"

"Well, you're definitely not an impostor, that's for sure."

"Did you have to pinch so hard?!"

_"Yup~!"_

Red eyes drifted back to the girls as they began to wrestle with one another. Was it wrong that she considered them hers? Ruby may as well be, now that she'd been corrupted -or had she?- by the pool of darkness. Yang was another matter, one she still debated on. Even after all this time, Salem found herself wondering if she shouldn't just recruit the girl properly.

Would her son like that?

Such a shame about the Schnee girl, though. Not the older one, she was a keeper, but Salem was beginning to think the younger sister was something of a lost cause. Weiss had all but _begged_ to go home after Ruby's transformation and magnanimous host that she was, she'd granted it...if only to make a point. Perhaps she would yet return once she came to her senses. Bah. She'd send Raven to check on her in a month or so to _ensure_ that happened.

By contrast, Winter's fate had proven considerably less kind.

Jacques Schnee had taken one look at his eldest daughter and tried to have her killed. Killed! His own daughter! He'd called her tainted and sicced his guards on her. Raven had been forced to drag Winter back through a portal to ensure her safety. Upon her return, Winter had sealed herself in one of the tower bedroom and not emerged since. Salem had kept the sullen swordswoman on retainer since.

At least their resident kitten hadn't bolted. She'd take what victories she could today.

Raven scowled at her from across the room. Salem bequeathed her a cold smile and those red eyes snapped away immediately.

"Please stop antagonizing her." Ozma tapped her shoulder in mild admonishment. "You'll make an enemy of her at this rate. That's the last thing we need."

"I disagree, dear husband." Salem couldn't quite keep the smile from her face. "At the end of the day, Raven's too much of a coward to ever raise her hand against _us."_

Honestly, a part of her regretted not recruiting Raven earlier. In the right hands -her hands!- the woman's Semblance was absurdly overpowered. Toss Raven in a room with a few strangers, force her to bond with them, and_ bam!_ You had yourself a glorified fast travel system spanning the kingdoms. Better yet, she was a coward. And cowards, as Salem well knew, were predictable. So long as she remained immortal, Raven wouldn't dare raise her blade against her. A single look at Yang now ensured her silence, made certain that she continued to toe the line and didn't get any ideas.

Her life had certainly turned around, hadn't it?

Once, she would've balked at letting Ozma back into her life. He'd hurt her. No amount of apologies or gifts could ever truly change what had happened between them. Yet that rift had begun to heal. There were times when she almost felt as if she could forgive him. Yes, everyone seemed to be taking this remarkably well-

"Aaaaah!"

Oh, joy. Summer had finally awoken.

Ozma exhaled softly. "And so it begins again."

"Allow me to deal with her. You've clearly failed in that regard."

Summer sat up, took another long look at her daughter and screamed yet again. Little Ruby wilted, even as Yang grimaced and lookd away. Salem dug a finger into her ear in a vain effort to make everything stop ringing, to no avail. Nevermind those silver eyes, the girl's very _voice_ was a weapon! Just how loud could she be?! When the silence finally came, it was a blessed thing indeed.

"Are you quite done?" she sighed. "Or do you intend to faint yet again? The floor's quite cold, I've been told.

To her credit, Summer did not scream this time. She absolutely shrieked instead. "What have you done to my baby?!"

"Not a thing." Salem continued to lounge in her chair, refusing to flinch when those ghastly eyes flashed. "What you see here before you is simply the result of a...happy accident."

"Accident?! HAPPY?!" The silver eyed warrior all but frothed at the mouth as she climbed to her feet. "How can you possibly say that?"

Ozma muttered something about poorly timed words while Summer howled at her. Salem ignored them both.

"How can I not? The children were playing near the Grimm pools when a quake hit. Little Rose here," she gestured to the still-squirming Ruby, "Was unfortunate enough to fall in, but she was quickly fished out by my son and his friends. One of whom risked her very being harm to help her. No lasting harm was done. Isn't that right, my dear?"

"Mmm." the little one nodded. "I'm fine, mom! Really! Better than fine, actually! See?!"

"See whaa_aaaaaa?!"_

Yang's words trailed off in a shriek as Ruby bodily lifted her form the floor. The blond squawked and Ruby grinned up at her, the very picture of innocence.

"By the Gods." Ozma muttered, watching her put the taller girl down. "That might be a problem going forward."

"You see?" Salem hummed appreciatively, even as Summer's spirits seemed to sink. "She's still very much herself, despite what you think." And if she knew what was good for her, she'd leave it at that! "Appearances and impulses aside, this is still your daughter. Nothing has changed. I will help find a remedy for this, of course." A lie, that. There was no such remedy. No miracle cure. She knew. She'd searched for one in ages past. But Summer need not know that. "Watts is even scouring the archives for any such happenings."

Perhaps it might be possible for the children to control the change, to revert at will. Naruto certainly could, but that could be unique to him for all she knew. Given time, Ruby and Winter might yet attain some appearance of humanity...or they might worsen and become feral. There was no way of knowing. Only time would tell.

"We don't need your help." As if sending that very thought, Summer's face turned stormy. "We're leaving." she snatched Ruby up by the wrist. "Lets go, Ruby. You too, Yang."

"Awwww!"

"But moooom!" Ruby cried!

"No buts! We're going! Raven! Portal! Now!"

Raven silently pushed herself off the wall and drew her blade with a languid rasp of steel.

Salem allowed the former bandit her defiance, even as Ozma tried to convince Summer to stay. He would fail of course, just as she knew he would. The wrath of an angry mother was a truly terrifying thing indeed; she knew it better than most. She counted herself lucky that Qrow and Tai were away on a mission; having the fathers present might well make this difficult. But here they were not, and so they were powerless to stop what followed.

"You may leave, if you wish." she called out after them when. "But do you intend to return?"

_"What do you think?!"_

"I _think_ we should ask what the _children_ want." Salem couldn't quite keep a smile from her face. Ozma saw it and frowned, but was helpless to intervene this time. "Should they not have a say?"

"And you, daughter?" Raven saw the bait for what it was and played her part marvelously. Her head whipped toward Yang. "What is your choice?"

"Eh? Me?" The blond blinked, startled. Then she rallied. "Can...Can I stay for a bit? I'd like to see Naruto again. Its been awhile...

"Will you be careful?" those blood red eyes never left hers.

"Who do you think I am, Ruby?!"

_"Hey!"_

All eyes fell to the girl in question.

Salem looked down to find her ward gazing up at her.

"I...I want to stay." Ruby whispered, kicking one boot against the other. Scarlet orbs flickered back to silver for the merest of moments. "You'll teach me how to control myself, right? So I won't be angry? I won't feel like breaking things all the time? And I'll," she choked on some tiny emotion, "I'll be able to change back?"

"Of course, dear girl." Salem cooed. "I give you my word." And she would. She'd teach her everything she could and more. Ruby had no idea of the potential she held. A girl with silver eyes, now blessed by the powers of darkness. Whether she knew it or not, Ruby Rose bore the twin aspects of the Brother Gods. Properly trained, and taught to use her powers? She would become something grand. As if she'd let her waste her gifts!

"Out of the question!" Summer snarled. "Ozpin! Make her listen!"

"Yes_, Ozma."_ Salem countered. "Make this foolish little wench see wisdom here."

Caught between a rock and a hard place, her fellow immortal tried to be diplomatic. He really did.

"Perhaps we're all being a bit rash here...

"Ozpin!/Ozma!" He failed utterly.

For a moment there, Salem genuinely considered letting Summer and the children go. She decided against it. No, that wouldn't do. Naruto would be devastated if Ruby was taken away in the middle of the night like this. Nevermind young Yang, whom he'd doubtlessly be happy to see again after so long. For her son's smile to be denied over so simple a misunderstanding as this-why, that was simply unacceptable. It was her solemn and sacred duty as a mother to ensure his happiness, even if he had yet to realize it.

Which meant it was time to remind Summer Rose _precisely_ who she was dealing with. She was no fickle woman to be bullied and cowed by an angry huntress. She was the Queen of the Grimm.

"Raven." she raised her voice anew, causing the swordmaster to stiffen, "Make no mistake, if you open that portal for Summer, you will die."

Yang spun around. "What?!"

Raven's sword _slammed_ back into her sheathe with an audible click. Summer jerked back as if she'd been slapped.

_"What're you doing?!"_

"Sorry, Summer." the pale woman shrugged. "Nothing personal. I like living."

Summer, only just now realizing her peril, made for the door instead. Salem waved a hand and it slammed in her face with a resounding bang, denying her the sanctum she sought. Trapped in the throne room with Raven at her back, the silver-eyed warrior spun and pushed the children behind her. For a fleeting sliver of a second she was distracted.

Ruby took that brief nanosecond of distraction to break her mother's grip on her wrist and bolt. With her enhanced strength, it proved pitifully easy for the girl to escape.

In a cloud of red petals said girl lunged into Salem's open arms. The Queen of the Grimm was all too happy to sweep the girl to what she no doubt saw as safety. From there she sat back down, and laid Ruby down in her lap. That in turn caused _Yang_ to chase after Ruby, leaving Summer alone before the dais with nothing but her weapon. She didn't dare draw it. Salem took a moment to savor her heartbroken expression before mastering herself. She had known this would happen of course; she'd orchestrated this very outcome.

"Ruby, sweetie!" Summer's voice broke in distress, "What're you doing?! Get away from her!"

"No!" Ruby buried her head in Salem's robe. "I won't go!"

"Do you see now?" Salem purred. "She doesn't wish to leave."

"Of course she doesn't!" Summer made angry Summer noises. "You tricked her!"

"Have I?" Salem looked left. Salem looked right. "Whatever do you mean?" she looked down. "Have I tricked you, Ruby?"

"Nope." The girl looked anguished by her mother's behavior, but in this alone, she held firm. "You didn't say anything you didn't mean."

"You see? I speak only in truth."

"Salem." Ozma warned, finally finding his voice again. "Whatever you're thinking right now...don't. Just don't."

"Whyever not?" A pale brow rose. "And who are you to claim you know my mind, dear Ozma? Make no mistake, Summer is here on sufferance." her words echoed through the hollow chamber, devoid of warmth. "She has ever been _here _because I allowed it. I will not push two children apart because a misguided mother wishes it."

Yang scratched at her cheek. "She's kinda got you there...

Ozma slapped a palm to his forehead; he knew her well enough to guess what was coming. Summer had made her bed, and now she'd have to lie in it. Ruby latched on tighter to Salem's arm. Summer shouted something and the words buzzed in her ear like an endless animal bleat. How she _longed_ to silence her. But she wouldn't, if only to make a point.

"You misunderstand me, miss Rose." Instead she rose slowly, almost regally from her throne. "When I told you I would help your daughter, I was not making an offer." she lowered her voice and picked up her ward as she descended the dais, eyes flashing in the gloom. "I made a promise." she placed Ruby down, but the girl never strayed from her side. Oh, how that made Summer squirm. "She will stay here as my guest until she learns to control herself. As will Winter Schnee. You're welcome to visit as you wish. You may even stay if you like."

Ruby's face lit up. Her mother, however, balked.

_"Over my dead body!"_

Salem pretended to consider her words.

"I have no desire to kill you, but if that is your wish...

Yang and Ruby squawked. Ozma, ever the hero, pushed himself out of his chair.

"A jest, I assure you." Salem feigned a smile at them all. "I'm afraid I don't have much experience with humor these days."

Blast. She would have rather liked an excuse to slay this bothersome gnat. Summer's death would only galvanize little Ruby against her, however. She couldn't have that. Her son was fond of the little hellion. She could've forced them to obey, but that would've run counter to Naruto's wishes. If he returned to find that she'd slaughtered Summer, he would be horribly cross with her.

Restraint it was, then.

_'The things we do for those we love... _

"Furthermore, if your daughter goes out into the world as she is now, she will die." If reason would not sway Summer Rose, emotion would.

Ruby turned bone white. Given her current...complexion, that was quite a feat.

Sure enough, Summer stopped dead in her tracks.

...what?"

"She will be as much a danger to herself as others." Summer's face twisted anew, and so too did Salem twist the knife in her argument. "She knows nothing of her new abilities. She will either lose control, or the Grimm will flock to her. Regardless, she will be discovered. Hunted for what has become." the huntress made a keening sound and tried to deny her, but she'd have none of it. "That discovery will lead back to me and my son. I fear nothing, but Naruto will be at risk, through no fault of his own. You are a mother, are you not? Tell me, what would you do to protect your child?"

Summer stepped to her without hesitation. "I'd do anything to keep Ruby safe. She's my daughter. I'd gladly give my right arm for her!"

Salem nearly hissed in triumph.

"Would you kill for her?" She challenged, leaning down to press her forehead against Summer's. "Even if meant making yourself an enemy of the world?"

Summer squirmed like a stuck pig. "I'm not...you can't just say...that's not fair!"

Not fair? What did she know of fairness!? Despite her best efforts to restrain them, Salem felt her emotions slip the leash.

**"You dare speak to me of fairness?"**

"Sure!" Foolishly, Summer stood her ground and continued to butt heads with her. "You're just a spoiled brat, ordering others around! What gives you the right?!" A finger stabbed against her nose. "You...you haven't lost anything!"

Salem twitched.

Ozpin winced. "Oh, dear."

Somewhere behind him, one of the many glass windows overlooking the Grimmlands cracked. Salem barely heard it. Her world had gone red and a curious buzzing rose in her ears all over again. She waved her fingers and the doors burst open anew. Summer didn't dare make a move towards that empty arch. Her wide silver eyes remained fixed on Salem. As well they should.

"Ozma." When the Queen of the Grimm next spoke, her words were a naked hiss. "I believe the children are bored." it was a statement. Not a question. "Take them outside to play. Raven will accompany you."

"Eh? We're fine, though?"

Another window began to crack.

"Are they gonna fight? Can we watch_-hey!"_

Ruby and Yang tried to protest further. They really, truly did. The adults hustled them out the doors before they could put up a fight. Salem waved her hand again and the doors crashed shut once more behind them, nearly flying free from their hinges. Salem counted slowly as their footfalls receded rapidly into the distance. Five. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty.

Only _then_ did she deign to face Summer Rose.

It didn't bother her, Salem told herself. The girl was just naive. It didn't bother her. She didn't know the truth. It didn't bother her. This wasn't her fault. It didn't bother her. No. Not at all. Not in the least. She was calm. She was the eye of the storm. She was at peace. She wasn't about to let this slip of a girl ruin her day. Because. It. Didn't. Bother. Der.

An eye twitched. It did bother her.

_It bothered her a lot._

**"Fall."**

A wave of crushing _presence_ slammed down on Summer's shoulders, freezing her in place. A thousand shadowy hands burst from the floor and dragged her down to her hands and knees before she could react, leaving the startled huntress all but paralyzed, gasping for air that refused to come. They latched onto her face onto her arms, her legs, everywhere they could grasp. Silver eyes bulged and flashed wildly, to no avail. For every ebony tethers she dissolved, a dozen more took its place to hold her fast.

**"Life's not fair is it, my little huntress?" **Salem began to circle her in slow, measured strides, like a pale panther. **"If it were fair, I would be lying on the ground, and you would be standing over me."**

Summer raised an eye to glower at her.

**"But while some are born to feast, others spend their lives in the dark begging for scraps."** really, it was like talking to a naughty child. Summer had proven herself incapable of acting her age, and so she would be treated like the child she was.** "The way I see it you and I are exactly the same. No?"** Salem tilted her head when the prone woman snarled at her through her gag. **"We both want what's best for our children. We each seek a way to give them good lives. Normal lives. But our children aren't normal, are they?"**

She paused and placed her palm upon the woman's head, forcing her head up.

**"And you say that's not fair."**

A hand fell away from Summer's mouth and she rasped out a quick reply before another could form. "Because it isn't-

**"LIFE IS NOT FAIR!"** there was nothing false about the bite in Salem's voice now, and finally Summer cowered before the full weight of her fury. **"I know this more than anyone living or dead! I have suffered more than you can possibly imagine at the hands of gods and men alike, and you would speak to _me_ of fairness?! NO!"** she slashed a hand through the air when the little churl dared open her mouth again.** "The world isn't fair! They would see me and mine burn, because they deem it necessary! Because we go against their truth! Their preciou order! Because we upset the balance!"**

Summer choked wordlessly. Salem pressed in, driving the smaller woman into the floor.

**"They would slay your daughter, too! Without a second thought!"** she all but howled the words. **"Drag her out into the streets and lop off her head; all for an accident not of her making! Her death would be celebrated! Just like my son's! And you would allow this?! You would call that fair?!"**

"N-No...

**"I can't hear you!"**

"No!" Summer rasped. "Its not fair!"

**"Then you under**stand." with a supreme effort of will, Salem reigned her wrath in and leaned back. "As a mother, I cannot allow this. If I let your child run wild, she will endanger us all."

Summer didn't move. The Grimm hands wouldn't allow it. Reluctantly, Salem unbound her and the young woman rocketed upright. There was no arrogance to be seen in those silver eyes. She was beaten. Cowed. For all of her talk of justice and heroism, she wasn't willing to throw Ruby to the masses. Which was good. If she'd done that, then Salem knew she would've had to kill her. Any mother willing to sacrifice their children was no mother at all.

_"You're doing this to help yourself, not him!"_

"Believe what you will. _I_ will do what I must." Silly girl, she still failed to comprehend the truth. Salem loved five people in this gods-forsaken world, and though that number slowly grew with each year, Summer Rose could not hope to count herself among those lofty few. She never would. But now they held an understanding between them, as mothers, if nothing else. "Now. Leave. Me. Be."

Summer bolted.

Salem smirked. "Good girl."

A thought occurred to her, and she blinked.

"Now, where the devil has my son run off to this time?"

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

_"How long has she been in there?"_

"Days, at least." Blake's report proved uncharacteristically short. Clipped, even. "She's been refusing food and drink, just like I did."

"Talk about deja vu." Naruto ran a hand through his hair as he considered the looming door before them. What was with people and hunger strikes?! Hers was the second one this month! "I knew she wasn't feeling well after she went back to her old man...still." He tried to bite back the bitter surge of anger that followed, and failed spectacularly. What kind of father threw his daughter away like this? If Raven hadn't intervened, Winter wouldn't be alive to sulk at all. She'd be dead.

His eyes flashed at the thought in the dim light.

Dead, and for what? To satisfy the vanity of Jacques Schnee. Even now, he was probably pouring poison in Weiss's ear, corrupting her, turning her against her now-exiled sister. Hmm. Maybe it was time someone fed that impudent little dust merchant a slice of humble pie. Maybe he should choke on it.

"Are you sure about this?" Blake asked him.

"Nope." He blew out a breath. "Not at all, Blake. Not at all. Thanks for bringing this to my attention."

"Does it really matter, though?"

Naruto turned to face her. "Of course it matters. She's my friend. _Our_ friend.

The little faunus wrinkled her nose at him. "But she's a_ Schnee._ How can you stand her?"

Naruot blinked. Racism from Blake? He'd not expected that. Most Faunus had a contentious relationship with the SDC at best, outright antagonistic at the worst, but her behavior still stung in the worst of ways. Now wasn't the time to let their differences divide them. Now was the time for unity. Why couldn't she see that.

_"Blake."_

The smaller girl wilted. "Alright, alright...

Everyone had reacted to the "incident" differently.

Weiss had run away in fear. Winter had withdrawn into herself. Ruby had resolved herself to make the best of her new situation. Blake...well, Blake had gone and become his shadow seemingly overnight. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing. The shock hadn't shattered her as he'd feared; instead it had driven her closer to him. She didn't so much follow him as she did stalk his every step. Not out of any sentiment or somesuch; she had simply deemed him the safest person to latch onto in this madness.

She wasn't wrong, really.

Mom was...well, mom. Dad tried his best, but he'd lived too many lifetimes. Big Sis was rarely home, ever away on missions. Uncle Tyrian was cracked in the head. Uncle Watts could be a right selfish prick at the best of times. Uncle Hazel wasn't dangerous, but he'd been grouchy ever since Salem allowed Ozma back into the tower. With Weiss ferried back to Atlas for the time being, Winter changed, and Ruby a hotly contested topic...it was a cold day in hell when he was the sane one here.

"Could you wait outside?"

Blake nodded.

Steeling himself, Naruto stepped to the door and thumped his fist against it twice.

"Hey, Winter." he called, plastering a smile on his face. "Do you wanna build a snowman?"

A muffled thump answered him from the other side of the door. "Go away, Naruto. I want to be left alone."

Naruto cocked his head and pretended to consider her words. "Gee, let me think abou-NOPE!"

His foot slammed into the door and blew it clean off its hinges, sending it shrieking into Winter's room. A yelp echoed from the darkness.

"What're you doing?! Get out!"

Naruto strode in, heedless of her shout. Somewhere behind him, he heard Blake sigh.

"Might as well give up, Schnee. He'll drag you out of there, one way or another. Just like he did me."

Well...she wasn't wrong.

Naruto didn't raise his voice; didn't even speak as he shuffled forward into the dark. This time he didn't have the benefit of a lantern, and even his keen eyes could only see so much in such shadow. He reached for a light switch, slapping his palm against the wall where he knew the panel would be. Nothing happened.

"Really?" He called out into the dark. "You cut the lights?"

"Go. Away." Winter's voice rasped from the southern corner of the room.

Naruto turned towards it. "You know I can't do that, Winter. And I don't think you want me to."

_"You don't know anything about me."_

"I know that you're my friend." he spread his arms out to show himself unarmed. "Whatever your old man said, whatever he did, he was wrong. We can fix this. Just let me help

His sixth sense shrieked a warning and Blake cried out as a swarm of birds burst from the dark to assail him. Naruto flung up his arms before his face and weathered them in stoic silence. A dozen stinging impacts slapped against his forearms and chest. He hadn't expected Winter to use her Semblance on him...wait. Something was wrong, here.

A palm flashed out and caught one of the "birds" in his dominant hand.

Sure enough, juvenile Nevermore squawked up at him.

Naruto swore softly and released his prey as a fresh flock dove at him, a pit of dread opening up in his stomach as another feathery blur bounced off his head. He grit his teeth and blinked a bit of blood away from his right eye. This wasn't her Semblance. She'd actually summoned a swarm of Grimm. She...she shouldn't be able to do that.

_**"Cease."** _

He laced the word with a touch of his mother's influence and countless tiny birds slammed into one another in their haste to avoid slamming into their liege lord. When it came to Grimm, his word was second only to Salem herself. Whatever had happened to Winter, she wasn't strong enough to override his commands. A few indignant chirps greeted him as he wrested control of the Nevermone from her, nothing more.

**"Shoo."** he waved his hand and they raced out into the corridor behind him, eliciting a cry of alarm from Blake, but little more.

Once he was certain they were gone, Naruto swiveled his head back to search for Winter. No attack came.

"C'mon, Winter." he dared three steps forward as his voice regained its normal timbre. "This isn't like you. Tell me what's wrong."

"What's wrong?!" her voice lashed at him from the dark and cracked, abandoning all pretense of composure. "You're what's wrong! This is all your fault! I trusted you! You said it would be alright!**_ You lied!"_**

When the glyph burst before him, Naruto was ready for it. He rode the momentum and let it ram him back against a wall. It didn't hurt; rather, it felt like Winter was trying to push him away from here. She didn't want to be near him. Didn't want to be seen. She just wanted to drive him off.

He had a sinking suspicion he knew why.

This close, he could _taste _Winter's negativity like a physical force. It felt almost alive; roiling off her like a black cloud, strong enough to make him sick. His Grimm side drank it in and howled for more. Pain. Misery. Hatred and despair. More. More. MORE! That made Naruto feel even _more_ ill. She was going to drive every Grimm mad at this rate. Himself included.

"I'm sorry for this. Blake! Winter! Cover your ears!" he plucked a small metal cylinder from his belt and flung it at the floor.

Arthur's gadget did its job and more; the flashbang struck the stone and burst into light.

Winter cried out in pain, and Naruto pounced, slapping a second device against a nearby wall. This one didn't explode; rather, it bathed the room in gentle golden light. Naruto touched a dial in the center and that flowing light spread to the four corners of the room, banishing the shadows. There was nowhere left to hide.

A dark shape skittered back from him, one hand held before their face.

"No!" Winter wailed! "Don't look at me!"

"Nope." Naruto bulled in close. "Why're you wearing a scarf?"

"Go away!" she flailed at him and he caught his right arm. Dark fingernails bit into skin and drew blood. Naruto nearly recoiled with a hiss, but held fast. She hadn't meant to hurt him. He knew that now. It wasn't her fault no, not her fault at all. She'd simply lost control of herself.

She knew it, too.

"Its going to be alright." he spoke calmly and clearly to her, ignoring the blood dribbling down his right arm. "Everything's going to be alright. I'm not going to leave you alone. Not like this."

Winter hung her head and didn't dare look at him. That was alright. Naruto didn't much mind. He could see her just fine now. Her hair was down, and her pale face gone filthy, smudged with dirt. It made her look even more pallid than usual. They both knew why.

"Why did you lock yourself up in here?" he sat down beside her, folding his legs beneath him.

An awkward silence pushed itself between the two children.

"Father said I was tainted." Winter finally rasped. "He took Weiss back, but he said I was unworthy of the Schnee name."

Naruto bristled, words dying on his tongue, smile shriveling on his face.

"You're not." he argued.

"I am." Winter whimpered and buried her head in her knees, determined to hide her face from him. "I'm afraid, too. You'll hate me."

"Afraid of what? What're you talking about?" Naruto tried to laugh, but it sounded hoarse even to him. "I could never...oh."

Winter raised her gaze. Naruto sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth.

Mismatching eyes of tainted scarlet and icy sapphire met his own."

"Of becoming her." A she looked on Winter rolled up her sleeve, and when he only blinked, her face contorted in a snarl. "Of this!" She tore off her pale scarf in a fit of pique. Bits of fabric flew through the air as her dark nails shredded the cloth, then her blouse beneath, revealing herself to him.

And quite suddenly, Naruto realized why she'd been wearing the scarf.

"Can't you see?" she whimpered the words. "It didn't stop with my arm! Its spreading!"

And it was.

Only a few days ago the change had ended well below Winter's elbow. It had spread since he'd seen her last. Now it crept across pale skin, into her neck, and through half her face. One eye had gone scarlet on that side, stained with bloody darkness, her snow white hair slowly turning the color of ash. He could see veins of vermilion threading their way among the gray skin. A lone horn of white bone jutted from the center of her forehead not large, not yet, but noticeable all the same. He suspected another would grow beside the other given time.

Naruto thought she looked lovely.

Winter clearly didn't.

"I'm changing." she babbled. "Whatever happened to me in the pool, its getting worse!"

...I can see that." It was all Naruto could muster without sounding rude, and it set her right off again.

"How kind of you to notice!" Winter balled up the scarf at her feet and lobbed it at him. Naruto let it him him in the face, unblinking as it fluttered the floor.

All the while, his mind whirled.

Winter was always the calm one, ever a bastion of icy serenity and stern stoicism. She never panicked, never cried, never had an outburst. They were of an age, and yet she always seemed so much...older, somehow. Not so now. All that calm was gone, shattered by despair. Fear had shattered her facade, and her father's rejection of her very _being _had driven her into a dark place. It hurt to see her like this. He wanted to help her, wanted to fix it, but he didn't know how.

And so Winter continued to cry.

"He said I'm dead to him." she bawled. "My daughter is dead. That's what he said!" her hands tore at her hair. "He told them to shoot me, and they did! If Raven't hadn't been there...I...I...you have to help me!" Teary eyes rounded on him as she grabbed at his jacket. "Fix this! Please! I beg of you!"

Naruto flinched. "I...can't.

She burst into tears all over again.

"I don't want to change! I don't ant to feel like this! I want to be me! Winter Schnee! Not a monster!"

With those words, something clicked in the back of Naruto's head. Comprehension flooded his mind. "And you will be."

She glared bloody red daggers at him. "What makes you say that?!"

"Not much," Naruto reasoned as he bridged the gap between them with one hand. "Just a feeling." If Ruby was still herself after an extended dip in that pool, he believed Winter, who had only been minimally exposed, had a chance. A slim chance, but a chance nonetheless. She was only a mess now thanks to her rat bastard of a father. Her negativity caused her condition to worsen. It all made a twisted sort of sense.

"Tell me, "he began slowly, "Do you miss Weiss?"

Winter's head bobbed in a fitful nod. "More than anything. Its not fair. She should be here."

"Then we'll get her back." that was a promise he intended to keep.

"We will?" There it was. An opening. Hope.

Naruto pounced on it.

"Of course we will." he dared to take her hand into his own. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No." Winter's hand squeezed his. "Please, stay. I misspoke, earlier. I was angry. This isn't your fault. You've been nothing but polite to me." her eyes widened when she saw his arm, and realization danwed. "I attacked you!"

"You did. I forgive you." Naruto flashed her a smile despite the throbbing pain in his bicep. "I barely even feel it."

Winter balked at the rent she'd tore in his arm. "You're bleeding!"

"And I'll heal. I don't break easy, remember? So...how do you feel now?"

"Lost." her brow darkened. "Confused. Angry." her eyes flitted to their hands. "Happy."

"Then you're still you, silly." Naruto laughed as he pulled a clean cloth from his jacket pocket and began to clean her filthy face with quick, brisk strokes. "You're Winter Schnee. You're my friend. No one can take that away from you. No matter what you look like."

Winter sniffled again, and he could see her words were having an effect on her, however muted it might be. He could _feel_ her regaining her composure; better yet, the horn on her forehead had been growing progressively smaller as they chatted. She just needed one more push.

"You must think me a fool...

"Nah." he waved a hand as he pulled the handkerchief away. "Its fine. You're only human."

"Not for much longer." Winter giggled bitterly. "I'm not human anymore, Naruto. Neither are you.

Without thinking, Naruto lurched forward and pulled the trembling girl into his arms. He didn't even consider the rammifcations of his actions. He saw her hurting and just...moved.

Winter went still in his arms and he tightened them around her waist, crushing her against him...

"Don't be sorry about something like that. We'll be monsters together then, yeah?"

Winter buried her head in his shoulder.

"Father will kill me if I go back." she murmured, falling back into melancholy again. "He was already looking for an excuse to disown me before...this." she gestured wildly with her altered arm, failing to see what he saw. "Or worse, he'll demand I cut my arm off. I'm sure that won't stop this. He'll call me a cripple and get rid of me anyway." her eyes flashed when she pulled away, and he watched that lone red orb slip back into blue, once more mirroring its twin. "I won't be a cripple. I won't." she growled. "I refuse to maim myself to satisfy his vanity!"

"Then don't." Naruto drove the nail home with a shrug. "You don't owe him anything now."

"You're right!" a strange smile bloomed on the elder Schnee's face. "I don't, do I? I don't care what he wants! Yet...there is something I want."

Winter leaned in, and Naruto had half an instant to blink before her lips brushed his cheek.

His mind shut down on the spot. "Bwuh...?"

"I'm sorry," Winter whispered, leaning back as he blinked rapidly. "That was foolish of me perhaps, but I hope this makes my intentions clear." Her arms inched around him when he attempted to move, holding him fast as she could. Clinging on for dear life. "May we...stay like this? she murmured. "Just a little longer? I don't want to let go."

Naruto's brain finally rebooted. Cinder would flay him alive if she saw him like this. Wouldn't she?

He still couldn't bring himself to say no. "Fine...long as you want."

* * *

(.0.0.0.)

* * *

Cinder Fall regarded the pool of darkness before her like the pit of poison it was.

Slow, measured strides carried her around the lip of the crater. All the while it bubbled and seethed before her, tempting her with is power. Her lip curled in a snarl as she glowered pale golden daggers at it. She'd seen what it had done to Ruby Rose; how it had empowered that slip of a girl. What it was even now doing to little miss Schnee. It had granted them power. Might it to do the same for her? There could be no taking this back; once her decision was made, it would be final. What was done could not be undone.

Did she dare?

She wasn't so foolish as to simply dive right in as Ruby had done. That way lay madness. Besides the girl was pure. Full of life and light and hope. Her silver eyes had likely afforded her some protection from the corrupting influences of the pool and her exposure had likewise proven brief, preventing her from being altered too drastically.

Cinder knew she wasn't pure...far from it.

She craved wealth, fame, power. Her mind was focused, while Ruby's was full of childish things. To be fair, the girl was a child. She supposed that could be forgiven.

What could not be forgiven, however, was someone pulling a fast one on her.

In a matter of days she'd lost her place as Salem's favorite, all thanks to an accident.

Decision made she knelt slowly, reared her left arm back and stabbed it into the pool, sheathing her limb up to the elbow.

Nothing happened.

She withdrew it just as quickly and found her skin as it had always been. Dripping with black sludge, but still hale and healthy. Odd. From all accounts, the effect should've been immediate. Yet she felt not a thing-no. Wait. She told a lie. Her hand tingled, just a little. Nothing more. There was no explosion of dark power, no fire in her veins. Nothing. She made a second attempt and felt only a curious numbness spreading up to her shoulder as she withdrew her arm from the Grimm pool.

"Well." Cinder muttered softly to herself. "That was disappointing. Third time's the charm?"

She delved her arm in again, slowly this time. With great care-

Something grabbed her arm and yanked her under.

_Cinder was ready for it._

She could've resisted; could have summoned her blade and fought back, perhaps even clawed her way free, but she didn't. She surrendered herself to the gravity, sucked in a deep breath of air, squeezed her eyes shut, and pitched forward into the darkness with nary a sound. A minute passed as the surface of that ebony water went still. Another. Then another. Yet another still.

The world held its breath, waiting to see if something would rise from the depths, living or dead.

Without warning a pale hand broke the water's surface, stretching toward the shattered moon as if to grasp it. A humanoid shape coated in darkness dragged itself to the shallows, seized the lip of the pool, and dragged itself over the edge. It lay there for a moment, dripping black sludge, chest rising and falling with slow, easy breaths.

Cinder exhaled softly and stood, frowning down at herself.

Her clothes had burned away in the pool, but that was immaterial to her. Clothes could be replaced.

Power could not, and it was that which had her all but grinning at her reflection.

_"Yes!"_

Baleful golden eyes framed by black sclera gazed back at her, framed by a pale face, hair white as ash, and a confident smile. Cinder took a touch of pride in her newfound appearance, turning her hands end over end to inspect them. She rather liked that her eyes had remained the way they were. She would've been upset if they turned red.

She turned her hands end over end, regarded them with idle curiosity. She felt stronger. More powerful than she'd ever been before.

Destructive impulses warred within her, but her mind remained a steel trap and she clamped down on them with firm control. Cinder Fall was no simple waif to be ruled by any of her emotions. Under Salem's employ, she had mastered them log ago. Still, she felt some regret. She'd likely have to hide her face in public now, and while the power was a worthy trade-off, she somewhat missed her appearance.

As if summoned by that very thought, her world changed.

Her skin shimmered and Cinder found herself gazing back at healthy flesh once more. Golden eyes met hers from the pool, no longer brimming with black, her hair dark as midnight once more. Cinder's smile took on a vicious edge, sharp and cutting like a blade. Well. This was unexpected.

She could control it. Revert and change at will? She hadn't thought it possible.

This...this had potential. Much potential indeed.

Laughter echoed long into the night.

**A/N: Read this, please! LEST YE BE CONFUSED!**

**Merlot next chapter. Would've felt forced to introduce him here.**

**In regards to taking a dip in the Grimm Pools and the subsequent Grimmifcation that follows, I suspect there will be questions. Thus, I feel it best to plainly state the rules I've made here:**

**Salem's transformation was a permanent one due to her curse, so alas, she's very much stuck the way she is. ****Naruto has demonstrated the ability to change back and forth thanks to his constitution and the unique makeup of his body. ****Cinder, being older and far more disciplined than our resident blond, is able to control said impulses and transformation through sheer force of will.**

**Ruby and Winter need to work on their self control if they want to control the change. As we've seen, Winter remained unchanged until she was stressed by Jacques; from there her emotions spiraled into a feedback loop and her Grimmification spread quickly. Once calm, she was able to reign herself in easily. ****Ruby, is, well...Ruby. She's always been a pure girl, and her Silver Eyes serve as a bit of a barrier in this regard.**

**Hooo lord, Naruto's gonna have a sibling at this rate.**

**Rest assured, this isn't the last we've seen of Weiss either. Just a reprieve. ****Salem has put her foot down and ****Jacques is, as ever, a right pain in the ass. ****I think we all knew he'd disown Winter for this; unfortunately for him, he's played right in Salem's hand.**

**We have a very...special fate planned for that piece of shite.**

**Some might see Salem's behavior here as petulant; when in truth, she's been very patient in this arc. She's played the gracious host to perfection and tolerated everyone's shenanigans thus far, but at the end of the day she's not a good person. She's evil at worst, chaotic neutral at best. She's basically had her way for the last few chapters. Ozma can't stop her without pulling the power of the Maidens back into himself. Naruto isn't strong enough to fight yet. If she took it into her head to lock her tower and throw everyone out, she could do just that.**

**And of course, Merlot will soon rear his ugly head, as expected.**

**Soooooo in the Immortal Words of Atlas...****Review, Would You Kindly?**

**Reviews keeps this sickly man alive. Without them, I'll just vanish into the void. Poof. Gone.**

**So here, have a preview while I rest and recover. Writing/updating this rapidly really takes a lot out of me...**

**(Previews)**

_A knock settled against the wall._

_"Sooo," a familiar voice called. "Am I interrupting anything?"_

_Naruto recognized the figure leaning against it._

_A smile plucked at his face. __"Yang?!"_

* * *

_Salem did not squeal when she saw her son holding hands with the Schnee._

_'Yessssssss!' __Alright, she squealed a little on the inside. Just a little._

* * *

_She'd been a fool to come back. __"Naruto?"_

_"Hey, Weiss." the blond beamed. "I've come to play."_

_Jacques bolted upright from his chair. "And just who do you think you are?!"_

_Blue eyes narrowed on him. Weiss thought she saw a glimmer of red slither through their depths. _

_"Aaaaaand you must be Jacques Schnee. Winter sends her regards, and a message." he paused, considering. "I think it was something along the lines of...fuck you."_

_His fist slammed into Father's nose._

* * *

_Merlot saw his fear and chuckled softly. "Its just a booster shot, my boy. Nothing untoward. You have my word."_

_Naruto hissed. "You stick me with that needle, and I'll stick **you** with a scalpel..._

* * *

_"Death to the demons!"_

_"Oh my, an uprising! Its been forever since I crushed one of those."_

_"Salem, no!"_

* * *

_"Why is he riding a dragon?!"_

_"Meh." Ruby shrugged. "You get use to it."_

_Nora practically drooled. "Can...Can I have a turn?"_

**R&R~!**


	8. Leave It All Behind You

_**A/N: PLEASE READ THIS NOTE, WOULD YOU KINDLY?**_

**Bloody death threats. Keep deleting them, but there's so many...**

**Felt right to update this since RWBY started again. Hope folks like and review it...**

**WARNING! The first portion of this chapter may seem serious to some, but worry not. Its all part of the plan.**

**Sorry for the delay; t****he gang and I wanted to post this on Halloween, but the glitches prevented it. We've only just been**

** Had to wait until everything was fixed again. That...took a little longer than we would've liked, but it let us polish this chapter up to perfection.**

**EDIT: Feh! Flames and death threats keep popping up on my stories again, but I'm beginning to think its just one or two people. Let them rage. Let them scream. Their weak words only fuel my resolve. ****Reviews douse those flames as surely as a flood.**

**Thanks again, everyone.**

**Hope you're enjoying our little Schnee Arc here; 'tis the first of many we have planned, and the sweet, sweet chaos to come. ****Salem is in her element in this chapter, as is Naruto, Raven, and well, just about everyone. Can't say anymore, lest I spoil things. Wouldn't want that now, would we?**

**As ever, I own no quotes, references, themes or memes! Really, that ought to be obvious by now.**

**Quote is...well. You better bloody recognize it. It suits this chapter to a T.**

**Operation Rescue Weiss is a go! Move out people! Everyone roll out!**

**LET THE SCHNEE ARC CONTINUE!**

_"You...you don't understand anything! You can't be here! Go away!"_

_...you're right, Weiss. I don't know anything about your situation. Nope. Not a damn thing. __But you're family to me, just like Winter. Family means nobody gets left behind. __So go ahead. Let it all out. Leave it all behind you. Take as long as you need. I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere. Say what you want to say...and let me handle the rest. I'll flatten everyone who tried to keep you in this damn cage. I'll shatter the mirror you hate so much. You just have to ask. Say the words."_

_"I can't..._

_"Bullshit! You can!"_

_"Naruto...please...help me...!"_

**_"There it is! DAMN STRAIGHT I WILL!"_**

_~A Turning Point._

**Leave It All Behind You**

_"Its just a broken arm, daughter. You'll heal."_

A Schnee does not cry, Weiss. A Schnee does not whimper, Weiss. A Schnee does not hate, Weiss.

Now she chanted the words in her head like a mantra, wielding them like a shield to blot out the pain as the family doctor trapped her right arm in an unyielding cast. He was not gentle. She grit her teeth against the man's ministrations and refused to show the pain his care caused. Jacques always said their family stood above such base weakness. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her suffering; if only because he would critique her for that, too. He didn't care, not really. He never had. She'd been a fool to believe otherwise.

**_"Of course he doesn't care."_ **a nasty little voice hissed in the back of her head. "**_He's the one that hurt you in the first place. Maybe we should break him."_**

He'd broken her arm. Her own father, and he broke her bones without a care in the world.

In hindsight, some might say it was her fault. It wasn't. She'd snapped at him over what he had done to Winter. He'd grabbed her for it; she'd tried to pull away. He pulled back. Something gave and here they were. He hadn't even apologized for it; hadn't cared for hear tears, or her cries. He'd hauled her back to her room and brought the doctor. She'd not left since.

**_"And you call him Father. What does that say of you?"_**

That she was foolish? Weak? Easily moved by her emotions? Useless?

**_"You're not useless, Weiss."_** the rebuttal surprised her.**_ "You're still young. Give it time."_**

"Done." the doctor stepped away, leaving her scowling at the cast sheathing her limb. "It should heal in a few weeks. Try not to move it."

She nodded and feigned a smile she didn't feel as the man left. No doubt the media would be told she "tripped" like the clumsy child she was. No one would ever know the truth. None but her and the man before her. He'd not say a word, of course. Father paid him well for his silence and his services. He wouldn't breathe a word of this...the absolute coward.

**_"The acts of a craven."_ **the voice -not her voice!- chirped back, distracting Weiss once more. "**_His kind will be swept aside in the new era to come."_**

Sometimes little Weiss wondered if it truly _was_ just a voice in her head. If she weren't just imagining things. Had she gone mad from grief? Perhaps she had. More than a month had passed since she'd returned home; not to the home she remembered, but to a fortress.

Something smiled in her soul. **"It will not be enough. They'll come for you."**

In her elder sister's absence the Schnee Manor went from an opulent home to a veritable vault; not only were they protected by the finest soldiers Atlas could provide, but Jacques had brought in his own personal security team to ensure no one "vanished" a second time. What had already been a stifling place to live was only moreso now with Winter's absence. Mother drove herself deeper into drink. Father ranted and raged at the slightest provocation, driven half mad by escalating Grimm attacks and the White Fang. Whitley was of no use at all; he'd rather follow Father around like a shadow than see the truth. Father could do no wrong in his eyes. Nothing could convince him otherwise. Nothing would.

Worse still, Klein...Klein was gone. Father had all but disposed of him after her first escape attempt. She'd not made another since.

"If you insist on sobbing do so here in the privacy of your room where you cannot be heard." Dimly, she heard father's voice." I will not hear such weakness."

"Yes, Father." she parroted numbly.

_**"We will avenge him, Weiss."** _The voice came on again, soothing now.**_ "Don't worry. You'll be free soon."_**

Fear unraveled deep inside her and she snarled, unable to understand what was happening. '_Stop talking like you know me! Who are you?!'_

**_"Why, Weiss!" _**She thought she glimpsed a smile in her mind's eye.**_ "__How can you be so cold?! I thought we were friends! We've spent nearly a month together! Such times we've had!"_**

No. Nonsense. That...that was absurd. She'd not touched that ghastly Grimm Pool. She would have begun showing signs by now if she had...wouldn't she? Had some seeped into her skin when she touched Winter's arm? She turned her good hand over, inspecting it for any blemishes. None. Surely she would've noticed such.

_**"There's no need to fear me." **_even as she panicked that voice remained calm, elegant even._** "I was created for the sole purpose of protecting you, after all."**_

A pall of horrible silence fell over the two of them.

_...could you run that by me again?" _she whispered softly.

**"I don't think Naruto even realizes what he did."** A shrug answered her. **"He was under a lot of stress at the time; but didn't trust your family. He wanted to make sure you and your sister were safe."** in her mind's eye, she thought she saw her own shadow sift at her feet, betraying her very movements.** "I was born from that desire."** a shadowy hand waved up at her. **"A piece of his very being and soul, a living sentient Grimm carved off from himself. I'm not perfect by any means. More a rush job, really. Go ahead. Take a look around.**

Weiss twitched, but there was no one behind her. She still felt the eyes on her.

**"You wont find me." **the regal voice chuckled.** "In my current state, I'm no larger than a grain of rice. Not gonna get much bigger than that either...unless you want me to transform."**

_"Are you in my head?!"_

**"Nope." **the shadow shook its own.** "Just attached to your spinal cord. Wouldn't be able to hear me otherwise...**

Weiss made noise somewhere between a laugh and a shriek. Too late, she felt something shift in her, and the fingers of her broken arm twitched of their own accord. The unpleasant pain there vanished abruptly, replaced by an odd numbing sensation. Soon enough even that receded, leaving her aching limb feeling almost pleasantly cold.

**...aaaaand now I'm currently in your broken arm. Hello~!"** her fingers twitched again, trying to wave at her.** "With a bit of luck, you'll have that cast off by tomorrow. As to the why...well." **she felt the voice in her head dither for the merest of moments. **"When I was born, you were leaving. I**** had a split second decision to make between you and Winter. I chose you."**

_"Why me?"_

**"Why not?" **her shadow shrugged. **"Your sister fell in the pool. She got the Power, not you. She can look after herself. You're younger. More vulnerable."**

It was too much to take in. Her mind reeled, grasped at straws and failed to find the answers she sought. She had a voice in her head. A voice that was becoming increasingly snarky as time went on. Someone who nigh on claimed to be part of Naruto's soul, a living Grimm made manifest; one created to protect her. She wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

_...what do I call you? Do you have a name?"_

**"Truth is, I don't really have one." Another shrug, same as the first. "But all things considered, and given the emotions your'e feeling right now, I think I'll go with_...Venom."_**

_"And oddly specific name." _Weiss conceded mentall, "If a tad boring for a parasite."

**_"This from a girl who shares a name with a supermarket? And really, a parasite?! Apologize-_**_**OW!" **_

A hand cracked across her face, shattering her concentration and causing her "guest" to yelp in pain as her head snapped back. Huh. It felt what she felt. Good to know. Less important was Jacques looming over her, red in the face, one arm still extended from the backhand.

"You _will_ pay attention when I speak to you, Weiss!"

Distantly, she touched a hand to her stinging cheek. Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized what happened. She'd been spacing out so badly that she'd failed to even notice him speaking. She refused to let them fall, to show the weakness her father so desperately craved. Now she felt something else. It wasn't fear.

**"Is it murder?** Venom snarled. **"Because I wanna murder him. So badly!"**

"Yes, father." she parroted once more. This time, her words held just a touch of heat. Of defiance.

A Schnee felt no emotion. Ha! Jacques Schnee was a hypocrite. Father took what he wanted, where he wanted, when he wanted it. For all his claims at impartiality, he was petty. Father despised his enemies and regularly them into the ground. An opposing company? Out of business. Protesting families? Fired on the spot. Illicit dealings? Swept under the rug. He cared only for power and prestige. What need had he for family? Mother learned that lesson too late. Winter, even later. And she, the latest of all. At least Winter had been able to escape.

This man was no father of hers. Jacques never had been. She'd been a fool to believe otherwise.

This man was a monster masquerading as a man. At least Salem was _honest_ about who she was. For all her claims at being the Mother of All Evil, the woman had proven herself a surprisingly reasonable. Despite her title and the Grimm that prowled her halls, she was a good host. In all her time in the Tower, she never once raised a hand to her. For all their disagreements, they'd never once come blows. The very _moment_ she'd asked to leave with Winter? Salem shipped them right back to Atlas without so much as a word of...protest...

_'Is this my fault?'_ the realization struck her harder than any blow. _'Winter had to flee because of me. If I'd only stayed, if I haven't given into fear...would I be sitting here now?'_

"I told you not to ignore me!"

Jacques wound up for another slap.

Weiss raised her gaze and the man froze.

No. he would not strike her again. _Never again._

Something snapped. She surge upright and tackled her father.

_Jacques gurgled in surprise, but he wasn't strong enough to stop her pale hands wrapping around his throat. He tried to pry her wrists free, yet it was too late. Clawed fingers squeezed against his windpipe, causing his greedy eyes to bulge in horror. Weiss ignored his cry of pain and kept squeezing until his eyes bulged and his face turned blue. No, she keep squeezing after that, just to make sure. She choked the very life out of him until she heard his death rattle, until his eyes rolled back in his head and he choked out his last gasp-_

**"Weiss! Snap out of it!"**

She blinked and reality snapped back like a rubberband, leaving her sat upon her bed once more. Jacques balked back at her, alive and whole. Pity. Still, he must have seen something in her eyes he didn't like; because he skittered backwards, eager to place some much needed distance between them.

"Careful, dear daughter." the fool adjusted his clip on tie and tugged at his collar. "Your sister was cast aside, and the same can be done to you."

**"Are you alright?"** something prodded the back of her neck. **"Thought I'd lost you for a moment there."**

She gently prodded it back down. _'Not now. I'm fine. I just...I think I hate him. I truly do.'_

**"Oh? Why didn't you say so...**

The moment Jacques turned his back on her, Weiss moved. Rather, something inside her did instead.

**...see, _this_ is how you humiliate someone."**

A whipcord of pure midnight burst from her right wrist, lassoed the man by his ankle and _yanked._ Jacques cried out as he crashed face first into the floor with an ugly crack. Oh, dear! That sounded painful. Weiss did not giggle when her sire flailed to his feet. She knew Jacques -not Father! Never Father! Never again!- would lash out at her if she made so much as a sound. She wasn't sure she'd be able to control herself if he did. Instead she settled for a spiteful smirk at his back.

Weis

Jacques whirled around on his hands and knees, his face the very shade of puce itself. It suited him.

"Yes?" Weiss blinked once, the very picture of innocence. "Was there something else?"

He couldn't prove a thing. They both knew it.

"Yes, well!" the man she'd once called father sputtered and picked himself up gingerly. "We shall speak more tonight." He slammed the door in her face before she could offer a rebuttal, leaving her with her thoughts. Weiss scoffed. His fear was the final nail in the coffin; one she'd willingly lay down in. She'd been a fool to give into fear, a fool to come back, a fool of so many things. Weiss knew it in her heart of hearts, and yet know the pain made it seem real somehow.

**"I take it back. He's not worth eating." **her parasite -or was it some sort of symbiote?- made a noise of disgust. "**Bastard would probably give me indigestion. I felt ill just touching him."**

...you could kill him then?"

**"I could, if you got me close enough." **came the reply.** "Probably wouldn't like the consequences, though. Still want me to?"**

Much to her horror, Weiss nearly considered it for a moment. "We...we are not talking about this."

She glimpsed a toothy grin in her mind. **"Aren't we?"**

Weiss bit down a hysteric giggle, flung herself off her bed, and began to pace. There had to be way out of here that didn't involve murder. There just had to be.

Raven could cut her out of here in an instant. Weiss knew she could, and would. But she had no way of contacting her, much less Salem. Father had forbidden any and all forms of communication. She was a prisoner in her own home, a doll meant to suit his whims and nothing more. If she defied him she would be cast aside. Just like Winter. A tiny, bitter snarl escaped her as she clutched at her cast. Winter had been right after all. This wasn't home. This was a prison. This was a cage.

A mirror, trapping a lonely little girl within.

_Tap._

Weiss looked up.

_Tap. Tap._

What in blazes was that?

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

**"That would be reinforcements."** Laughter in her head. **_"Look at your window."_**

Sure enough, when Weiss turned her head, she found a juvenile Nevermore awaited her on the windowsill. Its razor sharp beak tapped against the pane of glass once more. It saw her, paused, and cocked its head to one side. If that didn't make its intent clear. An irritated caw greeted her and it tapped the window anew. Even back in the Grimmlands, she'd always feared the Grimm. They were passive around her by Salem's command, but monsters all the same.

Now?

She undid the latch and opened the window, but the bird made no move to enter; instead it raised a wing and began to preen itself. It appeared to be waiting for something. She soon realized why. Weiss hiccuped softly when she saw a small cylinder tied to its leg by a length of red rope. A _message_ cylinder.

"May I...? she asked tentatively.

By some miracle, the Nevermore made no attempt to flee when she reached for it.

Trembling fingers unbound the scarlet string, opened the case, and found a worn piece of parchment within. She recognized the neat handwriting at once.

_Dearest sister,_

_I hope this letter finds you in good health, though I will understand if it does not. No doubt Father has taken your scroll from you._

_I...well, I miss you, Weiss. I miss you more than words. Should you need an ear, I will be here._

_This Grimm is docile and will ferry any message you might wish delivered._

_If you wish to return, to escape from father, know this:_

_You have but to ask and we will come._

_Remember. Y__ou are not alone._

_You have friends. Allies._

_We're here for you._

_All my love,_

_~Winter._

Below the neat scrawl of her signature lay a host of other signatures hastily scribbled into what little space remained. She knew them all. Naruto, Ruby, Yang, even poor Blake. There were yet more whose handwriting she didn't recognize, but was vaguely familiar with. Raven. Cinder. Tyrian. Hazel. Watts. Ozpin. Salem herself.

A small, shuddering breath escaped her.

**"Well."** Venom sighed.** "That's adorable."**

Weiss clutched the worn letter to her chest with her good hand. In a moment she was undone. This time when the tears came, she couldn't bring herself to fight them. She wasn't alone. She still had friends. They had not forsaken her as she had them. It was too much for her fractured heart to bear. Her eyes began to sting.

"Venom, was it?" a tiny hiccup fled from her lips before she could hold it back.

She felt the parasite stir in her arm, just so. Enough to regard her.

"If you tell anyone I cried," She sniffled, "I'll kill you."

**...they won't hear it from me, princess."**

And so little Weiss wept.

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

_Raven Branwen opened her eyes._

Bloody red orbs creaked open with a long suffering sigh as she pushed herself off a nearby wall. One hand flew to hilt of her blade, Omen, drawing the longsword half an inch from its sheathe. She gazed at her reflection within for a painful moment, brow turning stormy. Then shook her head then sheathed it once more.

"Well, shit." she swore softly to herself. "Guess its time."

She had to tell Salem about this. She dare not keep it from her.

With a click of her tongue and a sway of her hips, she sauntered off, footsteps echoing hollowly in the Tower. Her Semblance was a terrifying thing. Powerful, deadly, allowing her to cross continents in the blink of an eye. It might be a bitch on her Aura reserves at times, but distance meant nothing to one such as her. She could not be captured. Could not be caged. But one thing gated it; one catch kept her from being an almighty assassin, the very terror of Remnant.

_Bonds._

You see, Raven could only create a portal to those with whom she'd formed a strong attachment. Love, hate, it didn't matter. So long as the emotion was there. Without it, she couldn't create a portal to anyone. But those who were Bonded, it was a mighty boon indeed. She could sense their location at any given time, even ascertain when they were in danger or distressed. A discreet flick of any bladed weapon, no matter how how large or small was all it took to create the gate.

And right now?

She could _feel _Weiss Schnee bawling her eyes out. The girl's stress burned in the back of her brain like a beacon, clouding her every thought and lending haste to her steps. Silly girl. Only now did she realize she'd chosen poorly. A small scowl twisted her lips. Blast it, she'd lost her bet with Hazel. She wagered the girl would last a week. Hazel argued that she was too stubborn to break easily. Smug bastard was never going to her live this down when he got back.

For a moment -just a moment!- she considered opening a portal to the girl here and now.

Like it or not, she had a bond to the Schnee; that was precisely why she could sense her pain. It would save her no end of grief. But _that_ would mean cutting through the guards watching her and truly marking herself as an international criminal. Not a step she was prepared to take. Posters of her masked visage were already plastered all around most of Mistral and a good part of Vale. But not Atlas. Not yet. Ironwood might be a dick, but he was a persistent one; she'd find herself hunted by him if she wasn't careful. Best to let Salem take that step.

Didn't make her any happy about it, though. Weiss's misery burned like it was her own.

Tch. So many bonds. So many feelings. Too many to count now. At first, she'd only held a handful of them. Tai, Summer and Qrow, even that fool Ozpin.

_Then along came Yang; the first pebble in the avalanche that was to come. _

For reasons she even now didn't fully understand, Raven couldn't bring herself to give her up. Perhaps that was a weakness on her part. Perhaps not. Who could say? Regardless, she'd taken one look at her newborn in her daughter and something broke deep inside her. She should have fled with her. Taken her back to the Tribe. It would have been a wise thing to do. If Ozpin hadn't begun to change, Rae might have done just that. Looking back, she _had_ though it odd at the time; how the man went from wanting to destroy Salem to seemingly making peace with her overnight. Pacifying her, distracting her, keeping her occupied.

Raven hadn't understood the awful truth until Salem came for her; until she'd been made an offer she couldn't refuse. Join or die.

Just the thought of that day nearly caused her to a miss a step. You couldn't run from someone like Salem. It wasn't possible. She knew. She'd nearly tried. Had she refused, every single Grimm on Remnant would have hunted her till her dying day. Oh, she could elude her for a time to be sure, but not forever. She would be captured, picked apart by Arthur Watts to find out what made her Semblance tick, or worse. She might have been given to Tyrian. Nope. Lots of nope. All the nope.

Better to serve as a willing pawn rather than a slave, right? If nothing else, Yang would become strong here. Living in Salem's tower bred strength like nothing else.

Sometimes she wondered about that. After all, Salem had thrown her in a room with those damn brats and not let her out until she forged a bond with each and every one of them. Months on months spent dealing with the little snots before she was freed. Almost ironic, really. In less than a year she'd gone from having a single niece to to a horde of them. Well, that and one nephew...

Someone tugged her sleeve suddenly, pulling her back. "Auntie Raven?"

A murderous twitch caused her right eye to spasm._ Must not kill._ All the kids called her that these days. She didn't hate them, not really, but she _loathed _being called an Aunt. It made her feel weak. Silly. Soft. Ugh. Such stupid sentiment. With long suffering sigh, the one-time leader of the Branwen Tribe looked down at her niece.

"Yes, Ruby?"

Guileless silver orbs gazed up at her. Summer's one and only daughter squirmed beneath the weight of her attention, fidgeting like a field mouse caught by a cat. Poor thing still struggled with her powers these days and hadn't been able to revert to normal yet; her ever flickering eyes were a constant reminder of such. They could be silver one moment, red the next. Her emotions remained in a constant state of flux without equilibrium. Still, she gathered herself up quickly and spoke her mind. Good girl. She was strong.

"Have you seen Naruto?" she asked.

"Yup." Raven smacked her lips with an audible pop. "Saw him with the Schnee in the parlor."

Ruby stiffened, aghast. "You mean Winter?"

_"Yuuup."_

Something dangerous flashed through those silver eyes. It might have been murder. Raven was all to happy to encourage it. Nothing wrong with fostering a little competition.

"You know," she crouched down to Ruby's level, "You're going to fall behind at this rate."

"N-No. I'm not." Ruby wrinkled her nose. "Dunno what you're talking about."

"Oh?" Raven touched a finger to her chin. "I heard she kissed him."

_"Gottagoloveyouauntiebye!"_ her nice spoke a mile-a-minute and all but vanished in a cloud of rose petal . Raven fought down a smirk in her wake. Triple yup. She was jealous, alright. Definitely Summer's girl through and through. Ruby knew what she wanted and was determined to fight for it. That took strength. Perhaps if the mother were a bit more like her daughter, _she_ would've been the one to claim Taiyang back then. Who could say? Summer had her chance, and she'd failed to act on it.

_'Her loss. My gain. Qrow's too, I suppose. He was certainly quick enough to swoop in..._

Shaking her head at this fond memory, the bandit queen continued on her way.

That was the thing about Summer. She believed in Absolute Justice. She assumed the world was divided into two categories. Black and White. Good and Evil. Nothing further from the truth. The world wasn't black or white at all; it was gray, so many shades of it. Raven was good with grey. No one was purely good or evil. Everyone had good in them. Everyone had their dark side.

Well, everyone except her nephew it seemed. Then again, Naruto was the key to all this, whether he knew it or not.

Naruto distracted Salem, and in doing so, unknowingly drew Ozpin into the mix. Salem fell prey to her greed and wanted more. The brats that followed only built upon the foundations those two made. A distracted Salem was a happy Salem. A happy Salem _wasn't_ actively trying to collect the Relics; ergo, she wasn't destroying Remnant. She had other things to occupy her time now. And if she was kept occupied until the end of time? Well! The world couldn't end then now, could it? All things must die, but Ozpin would just keep coming back until the end of time. Maybe they'd get lucky and he'd knock her up a few times.

Remnant kept spinning, humanity got to live for a few more centuries. Really, everyone won.

And if that meant dirtying her hands? Well. So be it.

The misery of Weiss stabbed at her again and she grimaced.

_'Alright, alright!'_ Raven hissed at her Semblance. _'I'm going! Just give me a second!'_

Upon reaching her destination, the bandit queen steeled herself, shoved down her distaste and swung her arm back. Said destination was a lone metal door in an otherwise empty corridor. She considered kicking it down just to spite its owner, but thought better of it. Instead, she knocked once. The sound echoed like a bell, ringing loud and hollow into the silence.

"Open up, Watts." she demanded. "I need you."

_"Go away, woman."_ a muffled voice came from within._ "I'm busy. Find your husband if you're looking for intimacy."_

Raven bridled and bit back the urge to lash out. _Control._ She'd make him pay for it later. "Now, is that any way to talk to your Herald?"

She might be a pawn of Salem's, but hers was a unique position, one that couldn't replaced even by a Maiden. As such, Salem had given her a title. Herald. Ha! Raven didn't much care for the position, but it gave her power over the common rabble. Her word was second only to Salem's herself, and their Queen often entrusted her with delivering messages as such. Tyrian and the others didn't always listen to her, much less believe, but when they did...well.

She knocked again. "Open up or I'll cut the door down."

_"You cannot. I've reinforced it."_

Omen flew free from its sheathe with a bloody rasp. "Care to try me?"

A long-suffering sigh answered. _"Just a moment..._

She heard a latch turn and stepped back when the door rattled. A moment later, Arthur emerged. He looked harried, his clothing rumpled, dark shadows lurking under his eyes. With his arrival, the faint scent of sulfur and rotten eggs wafted through the room and hit her nose like a truck. Raven grimaced. Ugh. Foul smell. Made her want to peck his eyes out.

"Whatcha workin' on?" She saw the dark liquid in those tubes and had an inkling.

"A task given to me by Salem." His mustache twitched. "If you have nothing for me, then I'll thank you to leave me be."

"C'mon, now." Raven jammed her foot into the door when he tried to shut it in her face. "on't be like that." she leaned in, eyes flashing. "I have news for you."

"I doubt I'd be interested in anything _you_ have to say."

"Oh?" a small smile plucked at the corner of her mouth. "The answer might surprise you."

"Very well, I'll bite." The scientist sneered. "And what _do_ you have planned?"

"Nothing much." she made a show of inspecting her fingernails, drawing out every word. "Just a little shindig in Atlas."

Arthur perked up. "Atlas, you say?"

"We'd be tacking back Weiss and making a fool of the Schnee family. Maybe steal or hack some military hardware. Ironwood will have egg all over his face for this." She crooned, knowing full well she had already captured his attention. Watts _loathed_ Atlas for what they'd done to him. He'd leap at a chance for revenge. "But if you're not interested...

The door swung open all the way, nearly smacking her in the face.

"Well, why didn't you say so?!" gone was the scowl, replaced by something dangerously close to glee. Come in, come in! I'll wake Tyrian."

Raven followed him inside with a smirk, supreme in her victory. Sure enough, the scorpion awaited them within, sprawled listlessly on the floor, one arm over his face, the other clutching a bottle. Her grin turned turned vicious when she saw him. He looked bored out of his mind. Good. It would make him more susceptible to her scheme. Salem had kept him on a tight leash as of late. After the last incident, he wasn't allowed anywhere near the children; not until Ruby and Winter got a handle on themselves. That was about to change.

"Wake up, you fool!" Watts kicked him in the ribs, causing Aura to spark. "There's work to be done!"

Tyrian flopped over with a put upon sigh. Raven fought down a shiver and fought to keep her smile in place. Monster. He hadn't even felt that. Just what _was_ he?

"Oh, look." the faunus sniped, peering up at her with bleary eyes. "The Herald graces us with her presence. What do _you_ want?"

"Just the man I wanted to see." she flashed him what she hoped was a winning smile. "Up for a little chaos?"

He perked up like an eager puppy. "Does my Goddess will it?"

"She will when _we_ spin it to her."

"Hmm." Arthur stroked his chin. "Are you suggesting the three of us present a united front?"

Tyrian was just the man she needed for this. Hazel was too gentle, too reluctant to take lives. Hazel wasn't here. He'd gone...well somewhere. Hunting for something, he'd said. Good. With him out of the way and Ozpin in Mistral on business, no one would question her motives here, much less try to stop her. Watts was blinded by his hatred for Ironwood. Cinder was always up for power, it was just a matter of tracking her down. The Winter Maiden was still in Atlas, wasn't she? Easy bait, that. Tyrian...well, Tyrian just wanted to spill blood. He would make for the perfect distraction. There were few in Atlas who could hope to best him in a fair fight, fewer still capable of keeping him contained afterward.

His eyes flashed. "Will there be blood?"

"Oh, yes." Raven snarled, recalling the tears of a certain Schnee._ "There will be blood."_

"Capital." Arthur eased the door shut behind them. "I've been itching for a bit of payback myself...

You see, at the end of the day, Raven was a survivor. She would do whatever it took to ensure she lived to see another day. Even if meant binding herself to the Mother of all Evil. Well, not so evil now. So long as Naruto and Ozpin kept her...occupied, she was content to maintain this charade. Damn brat would want to mount a rescue operation the moment she told him. Salem wouldn't like it if he threw his life away like that. Who was to say she wouldn't go back to her old ways if he died?

They all had a vested interest in his continued existence after all.

They were still going to tell Naruto of course; there could be no avoiding that. Anything they told Salem would inevitably make its way to him. She knew the brat and his little friends would happily leap into a fire for one of their own without a second thought. There were simply preparations to make beforehand. Minimal risk, maximum chaos. Speaking of chaos...wasn't Jacques Schnee absolutely loaded?

Heh. She'd go down in history for this heist.

But more than that. Cash! Money!

_Mama wanted a motorcycle._

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

_There were three things that Salem loved above all else._

Naturally, her children was first and foremost.

Followed by his friends of course.

And then...Grandbabies.

Of course it would be grandbabies! Why wouldn't it be?! With the exception of a few happy years with Ozma before things went south, she had lived much of her life alone; indeed, she'd _expected_ to live the rest of her life in solitude with nothing but her minions for company. She'd resigned herself to a bitter battle with her ex-husband with no escape in sight. There was no light at the end of the tunnel. No escape save oblivion. At the time, gathering the Relics and ending the world had seemed as good a way to die as any.

Until she found little Naruto on her doorstep.

Now quite suddenly Salem found herself surrounded by more children than she knew what to do with. And only one of them was hers! That wouldn't do. She loved her son dearly of course and always would above all, but he had stirred a strange, motherly longing in her. His presence stoked the dying embers in her heart. Why have one child when you could have many? She'd raised four after all. By that logic, one was not enough. No, no, no, one would not _do at all!_

Salem wanted more; nay, she _needed_ more!

Salem was determined to swim in a sea of happy memories. To surround herself with, if not children, then grandchildren. She would drown out all her negative experiences and replace them with...well, not goodness, she could never _be _good, but something better.

Thus, when she saw her darling boy doing a bit of premarital hand-holding with Winter Schnee...well! The possibility of future grandchildren _skyrocketed_ in her mind.

Salem did not squeal. Nope. Not all.

_Eeeeeeeee!_

No, Salem most certainly _did not_ squeal when she saw Naruto holding hands with Winter Schnee. She did not giggle like a madwoman as her son brought said Schnee into the parlor, nor when said Schnee leaned her head against his shoulder and twined her arm with his. She most _assuredly_ did not leap out of her throne and prance in place like a giddy fool when she saw the smitten look in her eyes. Those were lies spread by her enemies. Anyone who said otherwise was a liar and a trickster and a traitor!

_'Yessssssss! One down!'_ Alright, she squealed a little on the inside. Just a little.

Ah, young love! She touched a hand to her cheek with a wistful sigh as she watched the two of them enter. Her baby boy was growing up so fast. Why, it seemed like only yesterday she was changing his diapers and teaching him how to walk. Now he was building himself a harem...! So! Proud!

Naturally, the other children noticed this little bout of premarital handholding and oh, their expressions were to die for.

"Oh, there you are!" someone skidded into the room in a cloud of crimson petals. "Guys, I found them-ack?!"

Little Ruby ran into them first, bless her little heart; she nearly crashed headlong into their backs. Poor girl. She looked like someone had just told her cookies were outlawed.

"W-W-Why're you two holding hands?! That's icky! You'll get cooties!"

By contrast, Blake's reaction was more subdued; even across the room she could see the girl's ears droop atop her head, lips pinching in a thin line of displeasure. Poor girl. She'd been Naruto's shadow for so long now, only to find her position usurped almost overnight.

...what is the meaning of this?"

Salem bit back the urge to give the Faunus girl a hug.

And young Yang...well.

Salem found her reaction by far the most delightful of all. She didn't show any signs of shock like Ruby, nor did she did she display the telltale fear of Blake. Her expression proved almost pointed. Downright furious, really. Truly, it was a sight to behold. Lilac eyes burned red, and not from tears. She'd not shed a single one. Was her hair burning? Why, it was! She glared at Winter as if the older girl had taken away her favorite toy and looked fit to start swinging because of it. To think, she'd nearly written her off. How foolish of her. Blonds were always the most volatile, and Yang _had_ been away for quite some time.

_'Best hop to it, girls.'_ she hummed, watching an argument break out.

She could see their potential now; heiress acquired, now someday soon Naruto already had a budding spymaster, an enforcer, and so much more.

Even now battle lines were being drawn between the four girls. They were still children to be sure, but someday soon they would be adolescents; little raging bundles of hormones unable to control themselves. Hormones meant yet more premarital handholding. Which would lead to hugging. Kissing came after. And after kissing...well, well, well!

_Grandbabies ahoy!_

But wherever was Cinder in all this? Really, she was missing her chance. Salem could sense her nearby; close, watchful, yet hesitant. One might think she'd relish her chance to brandish her new power in the face of such adversity. The silly girl. Did she think her little dip had gone unnoticed? Of course it hadn't. Which begged the question where-

The door crashed open with a mighty bang and all eyes turned toward the sound.

"Well, well, well." a familiar voice crooned. "Isn't this quite the gathering?"

_Aha._ There she was. Always one for an entrance, her apprentice.

Naruto blinked rapidly. "Big sis?"

Cinder didn't walk in the room. She strutted. There was swagger in her step and a sway in her hips. A smile wreathed her face, golden orbs all but gleaming with arrogance. They alighted upon Winter for there merest of moments, saw her clinging on to Naruto's arm, and dismissed her with a scoff. She did not flaunt her abilities, didn't parade her power before the others, didn't even deign to roll her eyes. Rather, she chose to keep it to herself. Odd, that. Even as a child Cinder had ever been one to preen. Her reticence piqued Salem's curiosity. What was she up to...?

"Cinder, sweetheart." she called to her on a whim. "May I have a word?"

Just like that the confidence guttered out of her apprentice. She approached quickly, heels clicking against the stone. Naruto watched her like a hawk all the while and Salem in turn watched him. Ruby and Winter where still new to their power, and as such failed to see any change in the older girl. Not so Naruto. No doubt her son sensed something different in Cinder-even if he wasn't quite able to put his finger on it yet. He would, given time. That, or Cinder would simply reveal herself to him. But that was neither here nor there. She had a minion to discipline.

Blood-red eyes snapped back to Cinder as she knelt before her.

"Feeling good, are we?" pale fingers tapped against the arm of her throne. "I'm surprised you can already control the change. Or did you think I hadn't noticed?"

To her credit, Cinder didn't deny what she'd done. She knew better, clever girl that she was. Instead she bent her head deeper still.

"No, mistress. Without you, I am nothing."

Technically untrue, but who was she to argue? From the very beginning, Cinder had ever been in touch with her darker side. It only made sense that she'd be able to gain the upper hand against her newfound powers. At the end of the day, she wasn't like the rest. Little Ruby was good and pure. Winter simply craved a family. Blake wanted recognition, while Yang sought someone just as -if not moreso- free spirited as she. Salem adored each of them and all their little quirks. They were good girls, all of them.

Cinder...was not.

You see, Cinder Fall was a selfish person. She hungered for power, prestige, and though she'd never admit it aloud...love. Adoration most of all. She wanted to be cared for, she wanted to find an equal who could match her and more. No princess she, waiting for a white knight. Salem still remembered reading stories to her when she was little. Ah, happier times!

"Cease your silly kneeling and stand up." she beckoned, bidding her to rise. "Honestly, what am I going to do with you? I didn't think you'd be fool enough to throw yourself into the Pool of Darkness. You could have died."

Cinder bridled, but didn't deny it.

"You'd best be careful." Was it wrong of her to stir the pot? Yup. What it was fun?_ Yuuup._ All the fun. "You're losing ground to the other girls. Even that little dip of yours might not be enough to sway things in your favor."

"Why should I fear those whelps?" Cinder's head snapped up and her eyes pulsed red for a moment before she mastered herself. "They're nothing compared to me."

"And what of Winter?"

Here at last, Cinder scowled. "A foolish child who doesn't know what she wants."

Coming from her? That was precious. Salem couldn't help but prod her further. "And what do _you_ want, Cinder?"

Her minion flinched. Cinder might be a teenager, but in her heart she was still very much a little girl. She craved affection, be it positive or otherwise. She'd never quite healed from her past. Perhaps she never would. She craved power for a purpose, power to keep her from ever being abused like that again. But recently, she'd found something to protect. No, someone. Though she might never speak the words aloud, Cinder was rather fond of young Naruto. Enough to take time out of her day to train him, certainly. Time would tell if it made a difference.

"You...you already know the answer, my queen."

"Just as I _know_ my son still intends to marry you." came the counter.

_"Intends."_ A slow heat crawled through the aspiring maiden's face as she repeated the word. "If he manages to best me in battle. "I find that...unlikely. I'll always be stronger than him."

Salem leaned back in her throne. "Will you now?"

...yes?" Cinder hazarded.

A mother knew her children. Salem knew her boy wasn't from this world; as such, his potential for growth was nearly unlimited. Naruto threw himself into training every day, even begged a bout off her when he couldn't find anyone else to fight with him. His abilities were strange indeed. Cinder wouldn't be prepared for them when he unleashed them. She could have told Cinder the truth; could've warned her apprentice, told her just how badly she'd blundered by making that promise...but no. Cinder made her bed. If she wanted to be a bloody tsundere and dance around her feelings like a child, then someone would just have to beat the _tsun_ out of her.

And it would be oh-so-satisfying to see Naruto do that.

What might their child look like, she wondered? A dark-haired girl with blue eyes and whiskered cheeks? Or perhaps a blond with golden eyes? Salem shook her head, trying to dispel the image but that just led her to think what a child of _Naruto and Winter_ might be like. That lovely white hair set with cobalt blue orbs and ashen grey skin-no! Now was not the time for such distractions.

Salem's thoughts ran rampant and she ruthlessly marshaled them before they could escape her entirely.

Even now she could see Naruto chatting animatedly with his friends; she looked up just in time to see Winter make a waspish remark; one which caused little Ruby latch onto his free arm. The blond squawked in surprise, unprepared for the sudden hug. Yang absolutely _burned._ Blake folded both arms before her chest, ears drooping.

Gods above, her son really was building himself a harem. Salem sniffed and wiped a happy tear from the corner of her eye. Mama was so proud of her boy. Really, all he needed was the little Schnee to complete the set. Nothing quite like two sisters vying over the same man. Weiss would return soon enough. Be it in a day, a week, a month, or perhaps even a year. Salem was a patient woman. She could wait. After all, she had nothing but time in the grand scheme of things.

Oh, but there was Raven and Watts, both headed her way.

Was that Tyrian bringing up the rear? Why it was? How curious.

"Excellent." the bandit queen hummed. "Cinder's with you. That'll make this easier."

"Easier?" Cinder turned to face the trio with a scowl. "You're up to something, Raven. What is it?"

Salem arched a pale brow, intrigue rearing its head in her heart. Whatever could they want? _She'd soon find out._

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

_"Come here, my son. There's work to be done."_

Naruto perked up when he heard Salem call him from across the room. There was a distinctive note in her voice, one he knew all too well by now. She was up to something. Then again, wasn't she always? His mother was Queen of the Grimm, after all. Plots and schemes were her bread and butter. But no, this time her words carried an edge.

Moreover, he was eager to get _away_ from everyone right now. Why in blazes were they all angry with him?!

Did holding hands really matter that much?

Rather than risk his mother's wrath he did as he was bade, and in doing so tugged Winter along with him. For reasons he didn't understand her face turned pale _-literally as she lost control of her Grimm state in a state of primal panic-_ but she still clung on, following even as she hid herself behind him. Not once did she let go of his hand. Strange, that. Stranger still, Ruby and the rest tried to follow them.

"No, no, no." Salem pinned them with a look. "You three stay down there. This is...a personal matter. It concerns Naruto and Winter. Not you."

Blake bristled. "That's not fair!"

"Yeah?" Yang seconded. "Not a chance in hell!"

"Yeah, no way!" Ruby cried. "Why can't you just tell us?!"

"You _will_ be told of it in a moment." a pale arm rose to forestall their argument. "Just stay there for the time being. Tyrian. See to it."

As he drew closer, Naruto saw Cinder was still with Salem, but now she'd been joined by Raven and Watts. Even uncle Tyrian was there, grinning now and sketching a grand bow as he passed him on the steps. No doubt he'd be able to coral Ruby and the rest. He'd been so caught up in their little argument that he'd failed to notice their arrival. And Cinder...there was something...different about her. Not necessarily bad, but different. He could still sense her just fine, yet she seemed more...balanced than he remembered. As if the twin forces inside of her had reached an equilibrium of some sort. He didn't have time to figure it out now.

"What do you think she wants?" Winter whispered, lips accidentally brushing his ear.

He tried not to shiver. "Dunno. Your guess is as good as mine...

Thankfully his mother wasn't in any mood for such idle banter; no sooner did they reached her than she smiled. No, perhaps she'd been smiling before that. Salem looked inordinately pleased with herself; as if she'd been gifted some grand secret, one she only now deigned to share with them.

"It has come to my attention that little Weiss wishes to return to us."

Naruto felt a smile tug at his lips even as Winter gasped. Their eyes turned to Raven.

"What?" the bandit shrugged beneath their withering stare. "Don't blame me. Blame my semblance. She was bawling her eyes out. I had to tell _someone."_

"Indeed." Uncle Arthur preened, clasping both hands behind his back. "Raven came to me the moment we learned of her distress. From there it was a simple matter of concocting a plan to retrieve her."

"Please." Cinder scoffed. "You're just eager to get back at Atlas and Ironwood."

The doctor puffed up. "And do you not seek the Winter Maiden?"

"Of course." Cinder growled. "I never denied that!"

"And yet you act like a foolish chi-

**"Will you stop?"** Winter snarled. _Actually_ snarled, and the sudden _contralto_ of her voice silenced everyone. **"I don't care about your plans and schemes. What are we going to do about Weiss?"**

It was the right thing to say and Naruto knew it; if only because Salem positively purred. Like that cat that caught the canary and slaughtered is _entire race _so too did her smile deepen. More a sneer now, really. It wasn't directed at any of them, but he felt its weight all the same.

"Oh?" Baleful red eyes regarded Winter with thinly lidded glee. "What indeed. Do you miss your baby sister?"

The Schnee's expression turned hooded.** "Yes...yes, I do."**

"And what of your father?" Watts inquired.

Ice blue eyes flashed red.** "If I ever see him again...!"**

"You'll what?" Cinder graced her with an indulgent smile. "Kill him?"

**...yes."**

To be fair, Naruto wasn't one to advocate killing; oh, he wouldn't shy away from it-but he simply disliked the idea. Why kill someone when you could recruit them? Mom had taught him that lesson and he'd taken to it with glee. Still, he understood the principle behind it and the reason why Winter would demand the death of Jacques. He'd never met the man, but he sounded like an ass. Nothing a few good punches couldn't fix...alight, more than a few. Maybe a dozen would do it? More, perhaps?

Salem's sneer lessened, turning her smile cruel and cold. "Good."

Winter sputtered.** "Good?"**

"Think of what he did to you." The Queen of the Grimm retorted. "He tried to have you shot for his own vanity. You, his own daughter. He drove you to become what you are now. Had you not succumbed to emotion, your arm may have remained as it was. Now the change has spread to the rest of you; through no fault of your own."

Winter growled and absently touched a hand to the lone horn even jutting from her forehead

"That's the way." Salem crooned in thinly veiled delight. "Don't fight the change. Embrace it. Make it your own, my child. Center yourself."

Without warning, her gaze found_ him._

"And what of you, my son?" pale fingers tapped upon her throne as she considered him anew. "You've been awfully silent thus far. What do you think of this? Should we retrieve Weiss? She spoke most unkindly to you before she left.

His expression turned.

Winter flashed him a pleading look. **"Naruto, please. You...we can't just abandon her...!"**

Her considered her words anew. While it was true he didn't know Weiss as well as the rest, he still cared about her. She was Winter's little sister after all. And if she was upset...if she sincerely regretted her decision to leave and wanted to come back...well! Why was he hesitating? The answer was obvious. Weiss was family. Family meant nobody got left behind. Sure, they might fight sometimes, and they wouldn't always get along, but nobody ever said family was perfect. Besides, they were hurting her. Kid gloves were coming_ right off_ for that alone.

"Well?" Cinder pressed. "What say you?"

In that moment he was suddenly and keenly aware of everyone. They were all watching him. Even Tyrian on the lower dais. They were waiting for his answer. There was only one answer he could think to give. There had only ever _been _one answer. He felt foolish for even hesitating in the first place.

"They took one of our own."

"Why, yes. Yes they did." Salem leaned forward in her throne, lips parting in a pleased purr. "And what is your answer to such a transgression?"

Blue eyes eyes went cold. "Take her back, of course."

Salem shuddered in delight. For a moment he thought she would surge up out of her throne and crush him in a warm embrace. She certainly looked like she wanted to. Watts hissed in triumph and raised a clenched fist to his chest. He knew the path forward and all that it entailed. Tyrian shouted somewhere below them. He likely didn't care, so long as it gave him a chance to wreak the beautiful chaos he craved. Cinder showed some more restraint. She pressed a hand against his head and granted him a nod; her silent praise warmed him more than any words. Winter...

She looked like she'd follow him to the ends of Remnant for this.

**"Thank you."** she buried her head into his shoulder, sobbing softly. **"Thank you, thank you!** **I'll make this up to you, I swear!"**

He patted her back awkwardly. "C'mon, you don't have to do that...

"And are you prepared for the consequences of your actions?" rather than rise, Salem chose to recline once more, folding one leg over the other. "This isn't Patch; this is Atlas. Any action you take out there, no matter how small, how subtle, will be noticed. Are you still prepared to face this?"

"Of course we are!"

"Good." she steepled her fingers. "Then this is what we will do...

She told him the plan. It should have alarmed him; if only because it meant Salem had intentions toward Atlas this entire time. He and Winter were simply playing into them. This was what he wanted, wasn't it? A chance to rescue Weiss. Proving himself in the field was merely a side-benefit so far as he was concerned. What did he care about a man named Ironwood, a man he'd never met? Never mind some Winter Maiden. Perhaps that was cruel of him, to simply case them aside like that.

Family was all that mattered.

In the end it, took everyone the better part of a day to make the necessary preparations; a mad scramble of motion that Naruto barely remembered. Cinder returned to the armory to fetch her weapons. Salem secured proper armor and attire for him and Winter, saying something about sending a message. Arthur bolted back to his laboratory and returned thrice as swiftly. He pressed an immaculate leather pouch into Winter's hands, which she then bound it to her belt. Tyrian sharpened his blades and bounded back up the steps, cackling like a hyena as Raven kept watch.

There would be chaos, perhaps even death in the coming hours. He steeled his heart against it.

"Now go, my son." Salem gestured to Raven, who drew her blade. "Show them why you are to be feared."

In a single slice, his aunt cut a crimson portal into the air.

"Remember, Tyrian and Watts are to go ahead of you." Salem instructed. "They will create a distraction and wreak havoc, the better by which to draw the Schnee guards and the military away. Cinder will escort you and Winter. But you lot," her eyes cut back to an eager Ruby, Yang and Blake. "The three of you were allowed to learn of this as a privilege, not a right. As such, you'll stay here. You are not prepared for such combat."

Ruby kicked one heel against the other. "Awww...but I wanna see Weiss!""

Naruto unbent enough to ruffle her hair. "Don't be like that. This won't take long."

She scowled and grabbed his wrist, but made no effort to pull away. "Just...just be careful, 'kay?"

He would be. It was the others that worried him. Soldiers and hired guards wouldn't be able to stand up to the kind of power they wielded. More than that, they essentially had three chaperones. What could possibly go wrong? Nothing, that's what. They weren't here to start a war. They were there to get in, grab Weiss, and get out...along with another additional objective. And even if things went sideways, he was confident in his ability to fight his way out.

Yang slugged his shoulder. "Come back safe, yeah? I'm kinda curious to meet little miss ice princess for myself." her grin turned watery. "Must be pretty awesome if you're risking your life for her."

"She really isn't." Blake huffed, crossing both arms before her chest. "Still...knock some sense into the Schnee for me. Maybe burn the manor down, while you're at it?"

Ruby squeaked. "Blake, no! Bad Blake!"

Naruto laughed and bumped his shoulder against hers. "Sure. I'll just add arson to the list of my impending crimes, shall I?"

Those lovely golden orbs narrowed. "Sarcasm does not become you."

"Love you, too."

Ruby and Yang _rounded _on Blake. The faunus turned scarlet, and Naruto hastened away with Winter away as she began to sputter. From her throne, Salem made a noise that might have been a squeal. He couldn't tell. His mother didn't squeal, did she? Nah. Must be his imagination. Nope. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil!

"If you're quite done?" Cinder tapped a heel against the stone floor. "Watts and Tyrian left nearly two minutes ago."

"Yeah. Ready?"

Winter gripped his hand.

"Alright, on the count of three."

Together, they drove feet first into the portal, with their chaperone only a beat behind.

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

_And to the brave heroes sallied forth to save the princess._

How deliciously ironic. Of their little group, only Winter and Naruto could be considered heroes, and even then only loosely. Salem eyed the closing portal for a moment and contemplated joining them. It had been too long since she'd stretched her legs. The world had forgotten her, failed to remember just _why_ they should fear her. But no, this was her son's quest, not hers. His place was there and hers was here. He'd never be able to leave the nest if he wasn't given a chance to fly.

But with him gone, Ruby and her friends were left to sulk. She couldn't have that now, could she?

She was still contemplating just what to do when the door to the parlor crashed open yet again. Really! Someone was going to break the damn thing at this rate!

"I have returned, my queen."

Salem scowled as yet _another_ individual approached her throne. Odd. Had she sent Hazel out for something? She wasn't sure. She wanted to say she had, yet she honestly couldn't recall. She'd been rather scatterbrained these past few weeks. More than that, she'd had the strangest cravings. Probably nothing.

"And where have you been, Hazel?"

The giant inclined his head. "I was in Mistral, my lady."

"Mistral? You say?" Red eyes narrowed. "That's where Ozma went."

"Yes." said giant squared his shoulders.

_"Hazel."_

"I did not kill him." Her minion blinked. "You sent me to retrieve Mistralian chocolate for you, my queen."

The gentle giant raised a thin plastic bag to testify on his behalf. Salem squinted at it, trying to ignore the sudden dizzy spell that came over her. Well! That was certainly chocolate. Oh, right. She _had_ sent him out, hadn't she? How silly of her to forget. And yet he still seemed uneasy in her presence. As if he were trying to hide something from her. No. Someone.

"Ooh!" Ruby's cry alerted her. "New friends!"

A whee slip of a girl poked her head out behind Hazel's legs. Not a heartbeat later, a boy did the same. Salem gasped despite herself. She'd not seen the children; they were concealed behind the sheer mountain that was Hazel. But she _saw_ them now. Two of them! Weren't they just precious?!

A boy and a girl!

Unlike the others, they didn't flinch before her; though the boy seemed almost resigned to their fate. He was unique enough in his own right she supposed; his was a pale face framed by dark hair and...wait. Were those pink eyes? They were! There was even a single strand in his hair. Dyed, perhaps? Maybe he'd been born with it? How exotic! The girl, well, her hair was positively kissed by the sun. Dull blue eyes stared up at her from a dirty face, yet in place of her partner's resignation, she looked almost defiant...

"Hello~!"

...until little Ruby hit her in a cloud of crimson petals.

Then? Why, then the girl lit up. "Whoa! Who're you?! You look awesome! Is that a costume?!"

"N-No?" The silver-eyed warrior scratched a pale cheek. "Ehehehe...not really...I'm still tryin' to change back...

_"Wait, you can transform?! Teach me, teach me!"_

Salem's brow shot straight up as the two began to chatter back and forth. "And who might these two be?"

Hazel went terribly still. "I...may have picked up some strays."

"I gathered that much." she forbore the urge to smile as Blake and Yang crept over. Misery loved company it seemed. The ginger certainly seemed excitable enough.

"They were threatened by Grimm." Hazel's mouth set itself into a frown. "I could not leave them to die."

"S'okay, uncle Hazel." the girl shrugged, disentangling herself from Ruby. "Not like Renny and me had anywhere else to go."

_"Renny and I, Nora." _her companion piped up at last.

Salem tried not to laugh. She really, truly did. It was just too much. Hazel's pinched expression at being called "uncle", coupled with Ruby's own glee and Nora's excitable chatter broke through her facade. A rare giggle burst from her lips. Said snicker became an outright laugh as she doubled over, clutching at her sides. Would wonders never cease? She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed like this.

She wanted to hold onto it forever.

"Just look what you did!" Unfortunately, the girl mistook her amusement for something else entirely. "Queen of All Evil here, Renny. And you made her laugh! Do you want her to gobble us up?! We're orphans! Nobody would even know we're gone!"

"No," He frowned. "I suppose not...

Orphans, then? A slow, satisfied smile spread across Salem's pallid face as she arched her back and sat up once more. Lovely. They had no place to return to; no one to care if their stay here became...indefinite. Speaking of indefinite, she'd really have to get around to contacting little Blake's parents one of these days. They were probably worried sick about their dear girl. Perhaps later this evening. But for now?

"Put them in the guest wing near Ruby's room." she decreed, much to the girl's delight. "See if she can't keep them occupied." A thought occurred to her. "Oh, but keep the explosive weapons away from them. We don't want any accidents now, do we?"

"No, my queen." Hazel nodded.

"Aw, phooey." Nora kicked the floor with a whine. "I like explosions."

Ruby perked up. "Me too!"

Blake and Ren went positively pallid.

"Seconded!" Yang bulled her way to the front.

Three pairs of very, _very_ eager eyes rounded on Salem.

"Oh, very well...but be careful! And don't lose any limbs!"

Salem fought down a grim grin of her own as they hastened away. Someone who enjoyed wreaking untold havoc and destruction? Ohh, she would be _keeping_ this one. She'd found a new favorite-wait, Ruby held that spot. Second favorite, then! No, wait, that was Winter now. Fine, she'd be third. Nothing wrong with the bronze medal.

Surely her son wouldn't mind a few more playmates...?

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

_"You will do as you are told tonight."_

Weiss schooled her face into obedience. "Yes, father."

"You will not speak of Winter to anyone." Jacques Schnee continued.

This mustn't register on an emotional level. Conceal. Don't feel. "Yes, father."

But he just kept twisting the knife. "You HAVE no sister. Do you understand? She does not exist."

_Yes she does!_ A tiny voice cried in her heart._ You threw her away!_

Jacques heard none of it, and so continued to glare icy daggers at her from behind his desk, fingers steeped beneath his chin.

She was to sing tonight, another sign of his power over her. How she loathed that. Once upon a time, she'd loved her voice, loved singing all the more. No longer.

Weiss grit her teeth until she felt one of her molars crack. The pain helped to center her. Even now Mother still wouldn't help her; why would she? Weiss had been foolish to hope for such. Willow Schnee would sooner drink herself into an early grave than anger Father. Whitley...he was even worse now, somehow. Her little brother had seen the tides turning; with Willow gone and her in disfavor he knew he stood a greater chance to inherit. And so he lapped up everything Father fed him.

If he said Winter was demon spawn? Then demon spawn she was.

She truly had made a mistake coming back here, but she was too proud to admit it. This wasn't home. Home was where Willow was. Home was where Naruto was-

Her senses tingled as she felt a rush of cool air against the nape of her neck.

A faint whisper brushed the back of her mind as her parasite grinned toothily. **"And. Here. We. Go."**

Without thinking, Weiss rounded on the sound. Ice blue eyes widened as the air began to ripple behind her, just out of reach in the corridor beyond. No. Surely not. It had only been a few hours since the letter reached her. No, no. They couldn't be here. No, no, no! They were putting themselves in danger for her! They'd make an enemy of Atlas for this! Turn an entire kingdom against them! No one, not even Naruto would be willing to risk so much for-

As if to defy that very thought, a grisly red portal opened only a yard away.

"That blasted woman again?!" Jacques sputtered. "Close the door and bar her entry! Call security!"

A sneering manservant made to do just that. He felt nothing for her plight, he lived only to serve. They all did. With Klein gone they were all rotten, every single one of them.

Too little, too late. The air boiled and two men emerged.

"Aha!" She glimpsed Tyrian's terrifying visage -his crazed grin!- mere moments before the door closed. "There she is!"

WHAM!

One of them kicked the door down and flattened the manservant. With a vicious shout Tyrian rode him down. His stinger lashed out once and the man gurgled helplessly, foam already flecking at his lips. Not huntsman, he. That one would be dead in a matter of moments. Weiss couldn't bring herself to feel any pity for him.

No, because her eyes locked onto those emerging _behind_ him.

For a moment, just a moment, she saw Winter. Blue eyes met blue. Her sister favored her with a nod and vanished with a whirl of her glyphs. Just like that. She was there one moment and simply gone the next, rounding the corner to vanish deeper into the manor. Arthur turned and walked in the opposite direction, rings flaring on his fingers as a slow smile spread across his face. Try as she might, Weiss couldn't be bothered to care about her.

"Really, uncle?" a familiar voice sighed. "Already? It hasn't even been five minutes!"

Tyrian Callows, murder and monster, whined. "Let me have this, nephew!"

She knew who it was of course; why, who else would it be?

"Naruto?"

"Hey, Weiss." the blond beamed, whiskered cheeks dimpling in a smile as he emerged. "I've come to play."

He was wearing armor in Salem's colors, with a cape to match. It looked...well. He cleaned up rather nicely when he wanted to. Then those wonderful eyes flicked down to her broken arm and narrowed. That smile? Yeah, it was gone now. Shattered, like brittle glass. He growled and his anger alarmed her; because it wasn't directed at her.

"Weiss," he smacked his lips, the word a hiss, "Who did this to you?"

Someone answered, albeit not in the way he expected.

"What is this!?" In a beat, Jacques bolted upright from his chair and rounded his desk, face the color of puce. "Just who do you think you are?!"

"Aaaaaand you must be Jacques Schnee." Blue eyes narrowed on him, putting two and two together. Weiss thought she saw a glimmer of red slither through their depths. "It was you wasn't it? Winter sends her regards, and a message." he paused, considering. "She's a bit busy rescuing her mother with an associate of mine at the moment, but I'll be more than happy to pass her words along." He touched a finger to his chin, considering. I think it was something along the lines of...oh, right!" Gloved fingers snapped and pointed at him. "Fuck you."

Jacques sputtered. "Why you filthy little _reprobate-_

Clenched knuckles barreled into his nose with a satisfying crunch.

It was a sight to see; a single punch sent Jacques crashing over his desk, pinwheeling through the air, before landing upon the floor in an ignominious heap. Tyrian sauntered after him with a merry whistle, dragged him to the desk again, and planted his face down with an ugly crack. Jacques groaned, eyes rolling in his head. He flailed

"Shall I kill him, my Prince?" Tyrian's stinger swept down, close enough to brush her father's bloodied face. "Say the word and he dies."

"No. Leave him." Naruto shook his head. "He doesn't deserve death."

_"But he hurt your princess!"_

**"Oho, that's new!"**

Weiss sputtered. "I b-beg your pardon?!"

"Tyrian, I said no." Naruto ignored her. "You've got your own work to do here, remember?"

Bright eyes widened. "Why, so I do!"

He turned and fled into the hall with a cackle. All the while, Weiss felt her world whirl.

They needed to leave. Now. There was still time; she could make her excuses and try to flee on her own terms...but that wouldn't work now, would it? They'd come to save her; they'd come in force and nothing was going to stop them. She loved them for that, the fools. Still! They were in danger!

"You have to leave!" She cried!

"No." He set his jaw and shook his head. "Never again.

"Naruto...you don't understand anything!" her arms flailed at him. "You can't just walk in here and attack like this!"

...you're right, Weiss." Quick as a flash those red-black eyes found hers. "I don't know anything about your situation. Nope." he shook his head. "Not a damn thing. But you're family to me, just like Winter. Family means nobody gets left behind. So go ahead. Let it all out. Leave it all behind you."

Weiss found herself shrinking back. "What?"

"Take as long as you need." the blond planted both feet and crossed both arms before his chest. "I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere. Say what you want to say...and let me handle the rest. I'll flatten everyone who tried to keep you in this damn cage." his fist rose and slammed into an open palm, startling her. "I'm going to take all that hate, all that guilt, all that blame...and shatter it. I'm gonna break this mirror you hate so much." His brow turned stormy. "You just have to ask. Say the words. Set yourself free."

Did she dare? "I can't...

He latched onto her shoulders. "Bullshit! You_ can!"_

Of course she could. But to ask for his help, to be saved after she'd abandoned them...it hurt. It made her seem a spoiled little princess, begging to be freed from her tower. Shame flooded her cheeks, but when she raised her gaze she found no scorn waiting in his gaze. Just...kindness. It broke her. Tears burned in her eyes. Why had she ever run away from this? All her fears seemed so petty now. Still, she didn't want to ask for help. For all her flaws and faults, Weiss was a proud girl. Proud, and weak in equal measure.

She couldn't. She shouldn't. She did. Her hands fisted against his armor as a soft whisper escaped her.

...me."

"What's that?" her savior cocked his head. "I didn't hear you."

It hurt to say it at first; but she wanted to be saved. She wanted to be taken away from here. Far, far away. But she wasn't strong enough. Not yet. He was right there. Ready and willing to help. She just had to speak the words she'd kept silent for so long. She'd already said them once. Speaking them twice set her free. Now and forever.

"Naruto...please...help me...!"

His face hardened. **"DAMN STRAIGHT I WILL!"**

A thousand shadowy hands burst from his cape and shot past her.

Jacques didn't even have time to scream before he was dragged into their embrace.

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

The door to her study creaked open.

"Again?" Willow Schnee looked up from where she lounged on her couch, a flute of wine in her hand. "I asked not to be disturbed."

No one answered her. A thorn of dread pricked at her heart, but she shoved it down. She dared to sit up, blinking against her stupor. There was someone standing there, barely visible against the candlelight. She couldn't quite see them. How very odd. Perhaps she'd had a bit too much to drink. Oh, who was she kidding. Too much? No. Never enough. She was still conscious.

And then came the voice. _"I wasn't asking, mother."_

"Weiss, dear?" she dared into the dark. "Is that you?"

Someone stepped inside, heels clicking against the wooden floor. No. Not Weiss, she realized. Older. Taller.

"Winter...?"

Willow Schnee sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth.

Because her daughter was changed; indeed, her eldest had forsaken the Schnee colors entirely, forgoing the traditional white-blue ensemble for a daring red-and-black combat dress with an open back. She cared not that her legs were exposed to the elements, nor the ebony combat boots she wore, or even state of her hair, freed from its traditional braid to flow freely over her shoulders.

And at her side, a jet black rapier clanked softly with every step.

Gone was the straight-laced, uptight little girl she remembered; in her place stood someone else altogether. Her blue eyes were cold and hard, her chin lifted in defiance, mouth set in a mulish line Willow knew all too well. She'd worn such a look once. Before. For a moment, she saw a younger version of herself, wild and fierce, unbroken by Jacques and his wretched deceit. The ghost of her old self, come to wreak sweet vengeance for what had been done unto her and her daughters.

She shook her head and the image vanished.

"Hello, Mother." Winter Schnee smiled and dipped a curtsy. "You look well."

A lie. They both knew it. Willow knew she must look a right sight. She felt worse. Her liver was a shriveled mess and she'd not seen the sun in...days? Weeks? She couldn't remember, only that she shambled from one drink to the next and barely eaten anything. Her blue dress all but hung off her shoulders. If she'd been a shell of her former self before this, then now she was a ghost, an empty wraith in a world gone cold. Already frail to being with, she was now whip thin. Her cheeks were sunken, her limbs little more than sticks on her brittle body.

"Why are you here?"

"Why?" Winter blinked. "I thought that was obvious."

She spread her arms and the door crashed shut behind her with an almighty crash.

**"I've come for you."**

Before her very eyes, and to her horror, Willow watched her daughter change yet again. Pale skin creamy turned ashen and grey. Blue orbs bled red, the whites of her eyes turning black and cold. Even her beautiful hair wasn't spared; what was once a curtain of freshly fallen snow flooded a stark shade of silver. A lone pale horn burst from her daughter's forehead, lifting her bangs from her face, thereby drawing yet more attention unto her raw red eyes. They didn't just burn in the dark. They _glowed._

**"Hmm."** her eldest sighed and cracked her neck with an audible pop.** "Salem was right. It really does feel better now that I've centered myself."**

"Oh, my baby girl." Willow cried, touching a hand to her chest. "Look what has become of you."

Her daughter's gaze hardened.** "Look what I have risen above."**

A bitter laugh burst past Willow's lips. Insults, now? How those words stung. She'd been like that. Strong. Defiant. She couldn't be like that now. Not anymore. She was too weak. Too broken. Jacques had beaten the spirit out of her; she was well and truly a shadow of her former self. Whereas her daughter had shattered the cage holding her back. She'd spread her wings and soared.

All the while Willow was left on the ground, praying her child didn't fly too close to the sun.

**"I have come here to rescue you, but perhaps its better to leave you here, festering in your squalor."** Winter's mouth thinned into an angry line of distaste. **"Just look at you. A rat cowering in a bottle. I barely recognize you. What happened to the Mother I remembered? You were strong once."**

Willow refused to rise to the bait. "What have they done to you?"

**"They?"** Winter went terribly still, **"They haven't done anything to me. They've helped me. They set me free." **

Free to become a monster, more like. Now that Willow listened she could hear the undertone in her child's voice; it almost made her daughter sound older than she truly was, like a young woman. Her words might be stiff now, her anger thinly leashed by her humanity, but she seemed older than her years. Willow was so proud of her...and yet so dissapointed. She was right to want vengeance; that was her due; but this was too much. She would bring all of Atlas down on their heads, every secret of the Schnee line laid bare.

She'd tear their family down for her vengeance. Didn't she understand that? Or did she intend to claim it for her own? Such a greedy girl. Just like Jacques. The thought sickened her.

"If you define yourself by your power, a desire to dominate, to posses, then you have nothing." Willow shook her head. "You're no better than your father."

Shock flitted across Winter's face. It was immediately replaced by rage. Pale hands balled into fists at her sides.

**"AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE?!"**

Every window in the room shattered with a single shriek, pelting them with shards of broken glass. Her daughter ignored them by virtue of Aura, but Willow shrieked and covered her face with her hands, trying to shield herself from the worst of it. Cold wind flooded the room, blasting the curtains back, briefly flooding the room with light. In that moment Willow glimpsed the fire burning outside the mansion proper and forcibly schooled her expression into icy indifference once more.

Then the darkness came again.

**"No. I won't be drawn into your games."** Winter's blue eyes shimmered back as the shadows closed in, but beyond that, her change didn't revert. Her voice was frozen iron, harsh and hard. **"Its over, mother. You don't have the high ground here. Not anymore."**

Willow stepped back. "What...what are you going to do with me?"

**"I'm going to help you."** her little monster declared, gifting her with a beatific smile. **"But for that to happen, the old you needs to die." **she stepped forward, and the shadows seemed to lengthen where she walked, bending to her whim. **"She needs to be eradicated, body and soul."** her words held a bite now as she approached, a sharp intent that hadn't been there before. **"Naruto believes in second chances. ****So do I, else I'd not be here for Weiss and Whitley...or you."**

"Me?" Willow sputtered. It was all she could do.

**"Yes. I have a gift for you."**

Winter withdrew a long vial from her pouch, replete with black liquid.

**"This was developed by...well, perhaps its best you not know."** she spoke slowly, holding the vial up for her to see, swirling the contents within. **"It is the only one of its kind. I begged her to prepare it for you, and she did. This is magic, mother." **Honestly, it was like she was speaking to a half-witted child.** "You may not believe me, but its the truth." **she dared a tentative step forward.** "Drinking this will burn away all the awful thing's you've experienced, while keeping the good."**

She took another step, and Willow couldn't help herself. She skittered back.

Winter flinched.

**"You're frightened. I understand that now." **no mother should feel from her daughter, yet her eldest remained calm, despite the pain that flitted across her face**. "It will heal your mind. Make you better. Faster. Stronger. You'll forget all about Father. Please,"** a nervous swallow followed.** "Take it. If not for me, then for our family."**

Her fingers twitched toward it even as she asked the question on her mind. "Will there be pain?"

**"That...well."** Winter grimaced and looked away, considering the matter. **"I...am not certain. I can only speak to my experience on the matter. Ruby and Cinder emerged relatively unchanged, but I suspect emotions play a strong part in the process, I suppose. I was quite unbalanced for a time until Naruto centered me."**

Willow blinked. "Who?"

**"My intended, mother."** her daughter smiled, and it was true smile, full of life and light. **"He's wonderful. I've decided to court him. You'd like him, I think."**

For a moment, Willow almost dared to hope. Could it be? Was it truly so simple. Winter looked so confident. So happy. She'd been like that, once. So happy. So in loved. She'd truly loved Jacques once upon a time. Before greed had turned him into the monster he was.

_Jacques._ Just the thought of Fear seized her heart in an icy vice of dread.

No! She was lying! This was a trick! Her right hand flinched back over her body and she gripped her left wrist hard enough to hear the bone creak. This must be another play by him! It was all a trap! He wanted to give her hope, just so she could tear it away again! He'd concocted all of this! Even now she could feel his fingers on her, hear him laughing in her ear, see his smile and...and...and...!

Terror shattered sense and she ran.

**"I thought this might happen."** Winter sighed at her back when she fled. **"Father...no, _Jacques_ truly ruined you, didn't he? I think I'll pay him a visit when I'm done here."**

Willow's mind gibbered hysterically. The door! If she could just make it to the door...!

She slammed into a blazing white glyph and crashed to the floor. A shining white crest -the Schnee crest!- stared impassively back at her. She scrambled away. She hated it. She hated him almost as much as she feared him. He'd beat her for this, she just knew it! He'd kill her! There had to be a had to be a way out. There just had to be!

**"You'll not get out that way, mother."** her daughter informed her primly. **"The way is shut."**

Willow clamored to her hands and knees and crawled away, uncaring of the glass that dug into her palms. Rationality would say she had nothing to fear from Winter. Fear shrieked otherwise, deafening her to everything else. Even now, despite her frightful appearance, her daughter made no move to attack her. She simply followed.

"What are you doing?!"

**"Something that should have been done a long, long time ago."** Winter stepped around the desk to chase her, heedless of Willow's panicked cries as she crawled away. **"If no one will take it upon themselves to fix our family, then I will. No longer will I be ruled by fear like you. No longer will this rotten family name dog my every step. No longer will I live in fear of Father. This is my life. My destiny. Mine! No others."** Winter drew her weapon then, presenting the flat edge of the blade to her.** "What am I doing, you ask? I'm going to change the game. I'm taking control."**

In her madness, Willow thought she meant to kill her. "No, please...!"

Winter struck down hard on her back and the elder Schnee couldn't help but gasp, lips parting in a pained cry. Her eldest daughter seized that moment and cast her weapon aside, grabbing her by the face, wrenching her mouth open with impossible strength. Slowly, painstakingly, she pushed the vial and its wretched contents to her lips. Red eyes met blue, hardening with resolve. Her thumb flicked out, pushing the stopper free from the glass tube, bringing with it the faint scent of sulfur...and so she poured.

**"Be strong, mother. Endure it."**

Against her will, Willow choked it down. It was that or gag on the ghastly liquid, and she _dreaded_ the thought of it filling her lungs. In vain, she tried to resist, sought not to swallow, to no avail. The foul concoction tasted like sludge; like her every sin come back to bite her. And the pain. Oh, the pain. There were no words for it.

Was this death? It felt like death. Surely it must be death.

Willow's blood boiled in her very veins. She convulsed in her daughter's ironclad grip. Her word _burned_ ten thousand shades of shadow. And still Winter continued to force the potion past her mother's lips. Every last drop of that poison, until finally, there was no more to be given. It was too much. She felt herself slipping away, her thoughts growing more and more muddied with each passing moment. She felt her eyes burn black, bleed into terrifying red, yet still the pain didn't cease. If anything it only heightened with each second. No more. Please. No more.

_'Someone...please...make it stop!'_

Mercifully, the universe answered Willow Schnee blacked out.

When she woke, her world, nay, her _very being_ would be changed forever.

**A/N: Ahoy there, dear reader! Read this, please! LEST YE BE TERRIBLY CONFUSED!**

**First off...did you like it? By all means, let me know~!**

**Second! ****I AIN'T DONE WITH JACQUES YET.**

**Not at all. Not by a long shot.**

**We'll see what Arthur and the rest got up to soon enough. There was a reason we didn't see much of Cinder in this chapter either. Remember that "distraction" Salem mentioned. Well. Lets just call it it a doozy. You'll soon see what we're getting at, but telling you at this point would spoil the...surprise.**

**Yes, yes, I keep putting off Merlot. There's a reason for that. 'Sides, Weiss is more important right now.**

**Many want the idyllic days in the Tower to last forever. Sadly, they can't, as much as Salem wants them to.**

**Big brother Naruto to the rescue! What can I say? I pulled a Luffy. Naruto and Winter went full-on wrecking crew against the Schnee family. They even managed to kidnap Willow. Sadly, by this point, Whitley's been indoctrinated by Jacques. Lets see if Naruto can break through to him.**

**Soooooo in the Immortal Words of Atlas...****Review, Would You Kindly?**

**Reviews keeps this sickly man alive. Without them, I'll just vanish into the void. Poof. Gone.**

**So here, have a preview while I rest and recover. Writing/updating this rapidly really takes a lot out of me...**

**(Previews)**

_"I cannot believe you would...why are you crying?"_

_Salem's smile was unbearably fragile as she showed him the test. "Surprise...?"_

_Ozpin's jaw clicked open. "Oh, my."_

_In hindsight, he hadn't thought it possible for her to have children anymore; the corruption had taken its toll on her over the eons, body and soul. That hadn't stopped them from trying again of course, but he'd begun to think their efforts were in vain. And yet. Here she was. __He dared a tentative smile and took her hand in his own. __And yet she was. _

_Pregnant._

* * *

_"All's well that ends well..._

_Naruto would've said more, but he glimpsed another man near the throne; someone who'd not spoken until this very moment. He was an older gentleman with wild eyes and wilder hair. Crazy bastard looked downright giddy to see them. Euphoric, even._

_...and who is this?!_

_"Allow me to introduce Doctor Merlot." Watts waved a hand in his direction. "Foremost expert on all things Grimm."_

_Naruto didn't trust him for a moment._

_"I've already prepared some tests..._

_Merlot saw his fear and chuckled softly. "Its just a booster shot, my boy. Nothing untoward. You have my word."_

_Naruto hissed. "You stick me with that needle, and I'll stick **you** with a scalpel..._

_"Perhaps another time, then." the man bowed_.

* * *

_Jacques woke slowly. __"Oh." he blinked. "Oh, dear."_

_Red eyes stared back at him. "Finally awake, are we? **GOOD."**_

* * *

_"Come here, dear."_

_Weiss crashed forward. "Mother!"_

* * *

_Nora shrugged. "If they're weak, I'll squish 'em."_

_"Is that so?" Raven's face lit up. "Congratulations. You're now my favorite niece."_

* * *

_"Tell you what. I'll give you one free shot. Just lemme warn you, if you waste it...!" __Clenched knuckles barreled into the side of his face with devastating force. __Naruto turned his head and spat out a bloody tooth. "Y__ou're gonna regret it."_

_Then he moved._

**R&R~!**


	9. A Slippery Slope

_**A/N: PLEASE READ THIS NOTE, WOULD YOU KINDLY?**_

**EDIT: Bloody death threats. Keep deleting them as they appear, but there's so many...got rid of thirty so far...T_T**

**That said, wow I just looked at the review count here. That's...a lot of reviews. Nearly at 900 now! Can't wait to reach a thousand! Thanks for helping me and the team hit this milestone! You guys -and gals!- are the best.**

**Well, RWBY's give us a piece of Cinder's past. Poor thing. I get the feeling there's more to it than what we've seen thus far, but given all the death flags, I'm sure we'll get the rest in an upcoming ep pretty soon. Reeeally get the feeling she doesn't have has all that much longer left to live.**

**Question time! Lets have three this time.**

**Q: Ironwood's not gonna like this, is he?**

**A: No, no he will not. Ozpin isn't going to be too happy with Salem either.**

**Q: You said you weren't done with Jacques. Well, where the hell is he?! We demand justice!**

**A: As stated, his punishment must be more...severe.**

**Q: ...this little raid is going to get the world's attention. I just know it.**

**A: Naruto doesn't much care for that. Rescuing Weiss may seem all well and good on the surface, but this little "coup" is going to have consequences, many of which will reach all the way to the finale. Yes, I've written that far already but I've had to make...adjustments due to some recent revelations in RWBY. Having Cinder's past is nice and all, and an outright boon to my Cinder stories, but some of the revelations in the last few episodes/books, particularly given the Relic of Choice and Relic of Creation have proven...troubling to say the least.**

**Don't even get me started on the freakin' Grimm Whale. That thing's a logistic nightmare by itself!**

**As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. And yes, I do play Among Us.**

**Buckle up, because its time for the good stuff!**

_"They say absolute power corrupts. Absolutely. Unlimited power, even more so._

_Does, it though? Does it really? Take me for instance. I have lived for thousands of years. Yet your world still stands. I command armies of Grimm. Yet your world still stands. I could snuff your kind out with a snap of my fingers. Yet your world still stands. You call me a villain. Monster, demon, devil. Spawn of the blackest pit. I am all of those things and more. However, I also a mother. There are things -people!- that I hold dear. There are limits to my cruelty. I do not take pleasure in pain. I do not delight in torture. I do what I must, because I must. I had no interest in you, nor your petty schemes...until now._

_You poor fool. You think you know what a monster is. You have no idea. But you will. I'm going to show you."_

_~a future conversation._

**A Slippery Slope**

_Ground._

That was Naruto's first thought as he and Weiss came crashing down out of Raven's portal at mach one. Blue eyes bulged. One hand slammed down to catch himself; the other pivoted his body to shield her from the worst of their fall. Chakra flared. Aura shrieked in protest. Or perhaps that was Weiss. Naruto couldn't be sure. Regardless, his last minute intervention turned their uncontrolled tumble into more of a graceless dive than a fatal crash; one that sent the two of them skidding into an open pair of arms rather than the hard, unyielding floor.

"You've returned." a gruff voice greeted them.

"Hey, uncle Hazel." the boy grinned blearily up at his savior. "Nice catch. Really didn't wanna hit the floor at that speed."

"Hurk." Weiss groaned against his chest. "Let's never do that again...

_"Hey! All well that ends well!"_

"What, no hello for me?" Raven muttered just out of sight. "No, that's fine. Ignore me. I only saved your life."

Naruto waved a singed arm her way. "Thanks auntie...

His world was still spinning when a chuckling Hazel lowered the two of them back to the ground. Weiss didn't look much better off for it...even if it did look like there were three of her. Naruto shook his head, willing the trio of Schnee girls before him to resolve into one. Gradually, they did. He winched at what he saw there. She was in a right state. Her already pale skin was flecked with dust and soot, her outfit all but ruined. Oh, dear. She was going to go absolutely berserk. Girl liked her combat skirts. Nevermind missing Myrtenaster...he'd have to pick that up when he went back.

...might I ask why you were moving that fast?" Hazel inquired. "I nearly didn't catch you in time."

Naruto whistled innocently. "There may have been...an explosion."

"Of course." Raven huffe. "Lemme guess, Tyrian?"

"Was it that obvious? No, nevermind. I'm only back for a bit." he dusted himself off and shucked his cape, still smoldering faintly, from his shoulders. "Just dropping Weiss off before I rendezvous with Winter. I'll be right back. Oh! Speakin' of which. Auntie!"

Weiss made a grab for him, but he slipped out of her grasp and bolted toward Raven.

Really, Tyrian might have gone a little too crazy with the fire back in the mansion. He'd have to put that out later. But for now...!

Red eyes narrowed upon him as he scooted over. "Whaddya want, brat?"

Naruto dug a hand a into the heavy satchel slung over his shoulder. "I gotcha something. Hope ya like it."

Those blood red orbs watched him like her namesake as he presented it to her. Raven valued precisely few things in this world. Strength. Money. Survival. Family. Her own life. Not necessarily in that order. For all her bluster and bravado however, she was something of a softy. She loved Yang more than anything. She cared about Ruby. She was even fond of him in her own, awkward way. She just wasn't the most expressive person if you didn't know her. But when you did? Her tells were all too easy to read.

"Here ya go." He opened it for her and watched her eyes sparkle. "Didn't have time to wrap it back in the mansion when I raided his safe, but I hope ya like it."

She leaned over. Her jaw clicked open. "You little shit. When did you have time to do this...?"

"What can I say?" he grinned. "I've got fast feet. Happy birthday!"

"Naruto, no." Weiss sighed. "Bad! That's an awful gift.

"You think? I only stole a couple million lien-

Ravel all but dragged him into her bosom with a squeal. "Best nephw ever!"

"I'm your only neph-mmrrrmph! Lungs! Ribs! Being crushed!"

She squeezed him harder. "Don't care!"

Against all odds he managed to wriggle away somehow, leaving Raven to fawn over her newfound fortune.

The very moment he did, he found find himself faced with an obstacle of a more wintry variety. Because Weiss was looking at him now, both arms crossed before her chest. Her brow had gone stormy. One foot tapped impatiently against the ground as she glared pale daggers at him. It didn't have anything to do with the money, he knew that. Weiss hated her father. She was cross with him for another reason, one he didn't understand. He wondered what is was.

"Sooo...any chance you'd be willing to play with Ruby and the others 'till I get back?"

The little Schnee shook her head, ponytail flailing. "I'll wait until your return."

_"Weiss."_

"No." She stamped a foot. "I. Will. Wait. And I'm not done with you, either!" she grabbed a fistful of his singed jacket before he could slip away. "You put a Grimm in me!"

Naruto looked left. Naruto looked right. Naruto balked. "Me...?"

_"Yes, you!"_

Did he do that? He didn't remember doing that. It felt like something he'd remember. He really couldn't recall. When she'd left back then, she had been so frightened. Terrified, even. He vaguely remembered grabbing her by the wrist, trying to talk to her, only for her to yank her hand away. Had he done something them? Did his power have a mind of its own? He couldn't be sure. His expression must have betrayed him, because the fierce anger in her eyes softened just a touch.

"You weren't even aware of it?"

_Of course he wasn't! _"What is it, a parasite or something?"

Weiss flinched and touched a hand to her head. "Please don't call Venom that. He dislikes it."

"Eh?" Another brow rose. "Wait, its a he? And you've named him?! What did I miss?!" Another thought occurred to him, then. Wait. Something he created. A part of himself, of the Grimm power he commanded. "Do...do I owe child support? I'll pay, I swear!"

"You absolute dolt!" Weiss flushed to the very roots of her hair. "Don't imply things like that!" Her right eye twitched. "Damnit, don't call him papa!"

Naruto choked. "Pa-?!"

"Ahem." a new voice interjected with a polite cough. "This is all quite fascinating, but might I intercede for a moment?"

Naruto would've said something to that effect, where it not for the fact that he didn't recognize the speaker. He turned and glimpsed another man near his mother's throne; one he'd not noticed until this very moment. Unlike uncle Hazel, this one seemed to be an older gentleman clad in dark garments and a tattered lab coat. With wild eyes and wilder hair, he had seen better days. Crazy bastard looked downright giddy to see them. Euphoric, even.

...and who is this?" he asked. "Where is Mom, anyway?"

"Salem is...indisposed at the moment." Hazel amended with a grimace of his own. "Allow me to introduce Doctor Merlot." the giant waved a hand in his direction as all eyes turned toward the madman. "He claims to be the foremost expert on all things Grimm. He's recently been recruited into our ranks."

A blond brow rose. "How recently?"

Hazel exhaled aloud in a long-suffering sigh.

"An hour ago. He walked right up to our doorstep."

Unfortunately, the crazy bastard took that at as his cue to approach them.

"So, this is the one? Fascinating!" He certainly seemed affable enough, even with those ghastly cybernetics. His right eye was purely cybernetic, as was his right arm, a ghastly thing made of red and metal alike. His smile was entirely human, however, and another matter entirely. "Absolutely fascinating! I've already prepared some tests if you don't mind...?"

Weiss shrank back. "I'd rather you didn't...

Naruto swung an arm outward, pulling her behind him.

"Now, now," Merlot saw his fear and chuckled softly, "I'll just be taking a bit of blood, dear children. Nothing untoward. You have my word."

The blond hissed. "You stick her with that needle, and I'll stick _you_ with a scalpel...

"Perhaps another time, then." the man retreated with a bow.

Naruto flicked an anxious glance to Hazel.

"No harm will come to Weiss or anyone else while you're gone." The giant put in quickly. "Rest assured, I will be watching this one very...closely."

"Harm them?! Merlot squawked and flailed his arms. "How rude! To even suggest I would imperil the discovery of the century...!"

Naruto pinched the brow of his nose. "Raven, get me a portal to Winter, please. I'm feeling stabby."

His aunt scoffed, but unsheathed her sword regardless. Her blade cut a line in the air.

"Go on. Scoot."

Weiss reeled him back in before he could and buried her head in his chest. A curious dampness registered against his skin, but in a rare epiphany, he held his tongue. She sniffled once and he bit his lip to keep any words from spilling out. Something told him he'd be eviscerated for calling her on the carpet right now. Nope. Silence was golden.

Less so when her lips alighted on his cheek.

It was quick, chaste, over in an instant. Blue eyes fluttered rapidly. "Bwuh?"

"Come back safely, won't you?" she leaned back with a whisper. "I'll be very cross with you if you get hurt."

...sure thing." Typical Weiss-speak. He barely understood her sometimes. Still, he patted her head once. "I'll be back before you know it..."

A crimson portal tear opened for Naruto and with a final parting pat on Weiss's head, he stepped back and ran forward. A single leap carried him through.

As such, he missed the scarlet streak that shot into the room as he made his departure. He needn't have worried. He wasn't its target. Nay! It only had eyes for a certain Schnee.

"WEEEIIISSS!"

_"Ruby, you dolt! Let go of me!_

* * *

(.0.0.0.)

* * *

_Salem felt her word crumbling, piece by painful piece._

The Queen of the Grimm started at the test in her hand, and felt her world come undone.

Her legs buckled as she sank down into her throne. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. It shouldn't be possible. She had tried. She had checked. She had been certain. Years had passed. Multiple attempts failed, all for naught. In truth she'd all but given up on it; thinking it a remnant of her past, little more. She would never have children again. It was simply a fact of life. Naruto was her darling boy, and she was content to raise him as her own, even if it meant she could never give him a brother or a sister.

But she'd been feeling so strange the last few weeks. And she was late. Not to mention her...irregular.

So she tested herself on a whim. She hadn't thought anything would come of it. Until it had.

The gods were probably laughing at her fear. Pretentious pricks.

She sank down onto her bed with a world wary sigh.

"Alright, girl. Breathe. In. Out. In. Out...

Would the child be safe? Would it be healthy? Her body was corrupted even more than before; immortality or no, childbirth was a dangerous process. She could not die from it. But her child could. Her last birth had been a painful one and she'd nearly lost the baby to complications. Now? Eons later? She wasn't sure another child of hers would survive. Nevermind that! How would her son react?! Would he feel jilted? Replaced? Naruto was a sweet boy but jealousy did awful things to the best of people. But a baby...!

Just the thought of losing another child threatened to paralyze her.

"SALEM!"

The door slammed open with a devastating crunch.

Oh, no. No. No, no, no. She couldn't face him now! Not him! Anyone but him!

Ozma -for who else could it be?- came storming in, cane in hand. No doubt his expression was thunderous. He certainly sounded angry enough. She dare not look at him. Magic crackled in the air, a sure sign of his stress but she cared not a wit for it. Her thoughts spiraled down into a dark, terrible place as she hugged her arms to herself.

"I cannot believe you would do this!" he railed at her, unaware of her happiness. Her misery. "Attacking Atlas in the middle of the night?! Have you gone mad?! Why...

Salem sniffled.

...why are you crying?"

She raised her hand and hiccuped.

Ozma came closer, not quite understanding. "What is that?"

Her smile was unbearably fragile as she showed him the test. "Surprise...?"

A pall fell over the room. His cane clattered to the floor. When she looked up, she saw his awe. "Oh, my."

In hindsight, he hadn't thought it possible for her to have children anymore; the corruption had taken its toll on her over the eons, body and soul. That hadn't stopped them from trying again of course, but he'd begun to think their efforts were in vain. And yet. Here she was. Lost. Afraid. Alone. He dared a tentative smile and took her hand in his own.

"There, there, don't cry...

Salem was the Queen of the Grimm. She was mighty. She was terror. She was death incarnate. She could burn the world to the ground if she so wished it. Men feared her. Women wanted to _be _her. None could stand in her way. None could kill her. And yet in this, for the first time in eons. was truly powerless.

"I'm terrified." she babbled.

Ozpin exhaled softly and took her into his arms.

_"I gathered that. You do realize, James is going to be very cross with me..._

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

_The Winter Maiden was easy to find._

Resistance was minimal at best; with a madman on the loose and Atlas in an uproar, no one bothered to stop a woman in uniform. It didn't even occur to that them said uniform might be stolen or worse, that she might be an impostor. No one noticed her stark golden eyes, dark hair, or arrogant smile. No one thought to question her as she took an elevator and descended into the bowels of the city. And if every door opened for her on the way, and the cameras just-so-happened to miss her?

_Definitely suss. _

Cinder Fall hummed softly to herself as she watched the floors flash by.

"Really," she huffed, tucking a strand of ebony hair behind one ear, "Can't this thing go any faster?"

As if to answer that very question, a distant explosion rattled the world above. A sigh followed. "Hmm. Guess not."

Tyrian was very, very, VERY good at what he did. Truly there was no one better at causing chaos. Raiding the Schnee manor had only been the beginning. He'd been leading Ironwood and_ the entire Atlas military_ on a merry chase for the better part of _three hours_ now.

Not taking lives of course, Naruto had been adamantly against that, but causing chaos all the same. Really, if those fools couldn't catch one man -no matter how skilled he might be!- then they weren't much of a military after all. Granted, he had Watts helping him and hampering his every effort, but really. It spoke more to the military's incompetence that those two hadn't been captured yet.

And they wouldn't be. The moment they were imperiled, they'd hop back through a portal to the Grimmlands.

Raven's semblance was bullshit. But it was _their_ brand of bullshit. Important distinction, that.

No doubt Naruto had already used it to hightail back home to mommy dearest once he pried his little princess from Jacques grubby little hands; even if he had not, she trusted him to look after himself. Any plans he had beyond that were his own, not known to her. And while the Prince was away, the adults would play. Even if she wasn't an adult yet. Bah. Semantics!

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. And she would not waste it. With this, she would leap past all the rest.

Remarkably, someone actually remembered to _guard_ Fria, for when the elevator door opened, Cinder found herself face to face with two soldiers.

One of them balked behind his helmet. "Halt! You're not supposed to be here_-gack?!"_

He gurgled and toppled backward as an arrow sprouted from his throat. His companion barely managed to draw their rifle before Cinder was on him; her first blade slashed it down in a shower of sparks. The other caught his neck, and he collapsed with a bloody gurgle. They expired within moments, the both of them Pity. But she couldn't afford witnesses. She had her task here, and now was the time to strike.

Dead men told no tales.

Naruto would have been furious with her; killing solely for the sake of preserving her identity. In the long run, it wouldn't matter. Once Salem's plan was enacted all of Remnant would know their names. But for now, she had been commanded to keep herself hidden, to no reveal her face to the public. Watts could erase an electronic presence she let behind, but memories? Those could not be removed so easily.

Stepping over their corpses, Cinder pulled her hair free from the bun she'd fashioned it into. Ghastly thing.

Waves of ebony spilled down her shoulders as she walked, hips swaying.

A small smile plucked at her lips. "Much better."

_"Walk to the end of the hall and take the first door on your left."_ The voice of Watts crackled through her earpiece. _"Make it quick. We're leading Ironwood around by the nose up here, but its only a matter of time before he realizes what we're up to." _

"No need to get your mustache in a twist, old man." she forbore the urge to roll her eyes. "I'll see it done. Did you find what you came for?"

_"Quite."_ A chuckle answered. _"Pietro had some FASCINATING research tucked away. I'll make fine use of this Penny..._

"Don't choke on your aspirations, doctor."

_"Brat."_

The connection cut with a squawk of silence. Cinder followed his instructions to the letter.

From there it was a simple matter to find Fria's chamber and rouse her from her sleeping pod. Poor old hag. Wasting away like this. No longer.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty." She hummed, eyes narrowing in anticipation as the Maiden awoke. "You've had your time in the sun. But now that time is up."

As expected, the woman before her was slow to stir; of course she was. She wasn't long for this world. Why else would Ironwood keep her locked away here? The power of a Maiden wasn't meant to be sealed away like some cowardly craven. It was born to be used. Like the elements themselves. And they thought to lock it away? Ha! Just the thought of it made her sick. Power should be

"Yes." Bleary blue eyes blinked up at her. "I've been waiting here. For some time, I think. What was I waiting for?"

Cinder smiled and conjured a knife of burning glass behind her back. _"Me."_

A single strike would be enough. More than enough.

"Oh." Another blink followed the last. "Was I? I had a job to do. I was supposed to protect the power of the maiden...until I was ready." she tilted her head, as if listening to some voice only she could hear. "I worry I may have lost track of time. But you can tell James, I'm ready now." Those eerie glowing eyes fixed upon her now, with an ancient weight. "Tell me, girl. _Are_ you the one I've been waiting for?"

The knife vanished in Cinder's grasp.

Fight or flight warred within her and locked themselves into a stalemate as the Winter Maiden awaited her answer. Wait. Was...was this really happening? She didn't even have to lift a finger? It was almost too good to be true. If she could take the power without striking a blow...well! It would be ideal! More than ideal. Ironwood would suspect some form of intrusion after what had been done to his guards, but without any injuries to his precious Maiden, he would have no way of knowing who had done the deed. He wouldn't be able to prove anything. His would be the ravings of a madman. None would listen to him.

"I am." the words tumbled out of her mouth before she could think to hold them back. "I've waited my entire life for this moment."

Some say revenge is a dish best served cold. For what Atlas had done to her? Cinder's vengeance would be boiling hot.

"You have, haven't you?" strangely enough, Freya nodded. "I can see it in your eyes. What is your name?"

...Cinder." she wasn't sure why she gave it. Didn't matter. The hag would be dead soon.

"Such a lovely name." the woman's worn face creased in a small smile. "And why do you crave my Power? Will you use it? Or will you shut yourself away, as I have?" A bitter chuckle escaped her. "Without this might, I am nothing. Many have come to me seeking it. What makes you any different?"

_Without you, I am nothing._

Cinder flinched violently as a phantom pain shot through her neck. Old scars that had yet to heal reared their ugly heads, threatening to drag her down, back into her past. No._ Stop!_ She shook the memory away and mastered herself. She refused to show weakness even here, before this dying woman. She wasn't nothing. Not anymore. She didn't have to run now. She was mighty. She was powerful. She held the power of Salem herself, and would be betrothed to her Queen's son. Soon, she would have even more. Whether or not this old hag cooperated was immaterial. Her compliance wasn't a factor.

"I will _use_ it." she hissed the words through clenched teeth.

Frey regarded her with burning blue eyes. "And for whose sake will you wield my Power?"

"For myself." she preened, pride burning through her veins. "For power. To make my enemies tremble-

_"And to protect those you love?"_

"Of course-wait, no!" Cinder smile died an ugly death and her pale face burned hotter than any flame. "I didn't say that!"

"Come now, dear." Freya regarded her with a bemused sigh. "I'm no spring chicken, but even _I_ remember how it feels to fall in love. Its written all over your face. You want to protect what's yours. As any young woman should." when she tried to protest, a wrinkled hand flitted out to touch her head, rubbing her dark hair. "How admirable.

The gesture was so simple, so familiar, that Cinder bristled.

Rhoes had done the same thing, worn the same pitying expression in his final moments...before she ripped her sword from his chest. It was too much. Cinder flailed her arms and skittered backwards with a scowl, but no immediate attack was forthcoming. Only muted laughter.

"Its a boy, isn't it? Or a girl? I'm not one to judge."

Her face flamed. "Silence! Do not mock me, you old crone!"

"Ah, young love. Tell me about him, won't you?" It was not a question.

"Why?" Cinder's gaze flitted to the exit. "Are you trying to buy time for yourself?"

"Rest assured, I'm not trying to stall you." Her smile creased. "If you're here, then help isn't coming. Indulge an old woman's curiosity. Think of it as my last request."

"I refuse!" The knife came back and this time, Cinder brandished it. "I think I'll just kill you. Take your power and be done with this farce."

"You could." Freya allowed. "I would be sure to think of someone else, however. Anyone but you."

Damnit. Damn her to hell. She had her. She should have killed her the moment she opened her eyes. Instead she'd indulged in her weakness, thinking her a harmless old crone. Freya was not harmless. Even now, Cinder could feel the bite of frost in the air. If she attacked, the woman would put up a fight. Even with her new power, could she win against a fully realized Maiden?

Her shoulders slumped.

"His name is...Naruto. He's just a boy." she looked away, dark hair falling over her eye. "A little younger than me. He's decent. Kind." a rueful smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "He sees the best in people, even when he shouldn't." the smile died an ugly death when she thought about what awaited him. "He'll get himself killed because of it someday."

"He sounds like such a nice lad." Freya cooed, touching one hand to her cheek. "I would've liked to meet him. Reminds me of my dear William...

Cinder didn't let it end there. "Someone needs to protect him."

"And must that someone be you?"

_**"YES!"** _Blazing hands slammed down on either side of the bed, trapping her. "Salem understands, but she can't be there for him every second of the day. The others are too soft. Too weak." Her forehead slammed against Freya's, molten gold burning into placid blue. "They're foolish. They don't know the world like I do. Remnant is dark. It is cold._ It is cruel._ I know it. I've lived through that hell firsthand. And I refused to let another suffer the same!"

"Be that as it may-

"NO! I am _talking!_ You listen!" When the elder woman frowned, Cinder shouted her down. "I will burn entire cities to the ground before I let anyone hurt him! So you can give me your power, or you can die screaming with his enemies!"

It was the right thing to say. Freya leaned back, eyes shining with not fear, but triumph.

"Tell me, dear girl. Do you believe in destiny?"

_I don't have to run now._

Six words -a desperate plea from her past- burned in the back of Cinder's brain like a brand. She grit her teeth against it. She would not run from this. This was her burden to bear. Her power. Her duty. Freya would never speak these words to anyone else. They need never know. They _would_ never know, for she would speak of this to no one else. Not even Naruto himself.

...yes."

Freya lowered her arms and her aura with it.

"Then I release myself to you, Cinder Fall." she graced her with a careworn smile. "Be better than I was."

Without warning her left hand lashed out, seizing the younger girl by the wrist. Her fingers dug in and she yanked her forward, hard enough to bruise. Something surged up the length of their linked arms and into Cinder's chest. It stole her breath away, leaving a faint plume of white mist as she exhaled. And still Freya did not relent. Power pulsed up the aspiring maiden's arm and her body locked up. Air rushed back into her lungs with a wordless hiss but even then she couldn't bring herself to move. Her very soul _burned._

For a moment she was a weak little girl again, unable to move as the Winter Maiden drew her into her arms.

"I am an old, _old_ woman." Freya rasped as Cinder trembled helplessly in her grasp. "Let these be my final words to you. Protect your family, or failing that, die with them. Do not linger overlong as I have." her eyes softened, the flames of her eyes flickering, a windswept candle on its final breath. "Loneliness is such an awful thing...

Just like that she passed on; her body went limp in her cot and Cinder felt the arms holding her go slack.

She tried to speak, only for her throat to close. A faint presence touched her shoulder for the merest of moments more-a fleeting feeling of sorrow-and then the old woman was gone. Control rushed back and she tried to stand on stiff legs. Dark hair hid her face for but a moment. Frost flickered at her fingertips, gradually encroaching on the floor. A sudden breeze swept through the room, lifting her ebony tresses like a dark halo around her face.

Laughter tumbled from her lips.

And so the wheel of destiny spun ever onward.

Golden eyes flicked with flames, searing power gladly given to her.

She fished a scroll from her pocket, dialed a number, and held it to her right ear.

"Raven. Portal. Now."

Credit where it was due, the bandit answered quickly; not even a second passed before a crimson tear opened beside her. A triumphant smile bloomed across her lips. With this, her place as Salem's second would be all but assured. Well, maybe not second. That role fell to Naruto. Third, really. Eh. Bronze was better than nothing. With one final lingering glance back at Freya's corpse, Cinder stepped towards her ticket home.

Paused.

In death, Frey looked small. Tiny even. Here was a lonely woman who had died a lonely death. No one would miss her. No would mourn her. Except perhaps Ironwood, but he would bemoan the loss of the Winter Maiden, not the woman wielding the power. An idea bloomed in the back of Cinder's head; an insidious little scheme that Salem herself would've been proud of. Her smile turned vicious.

Yeah, screw Ironwood.

Heels clicking against the frozen floor, she turned back and scooped up her still form, pulling her in her arms. Freya was light. There was almost no weight to her body. None at all. She would give this one a burial. It was the least she could do. A final act of kindness from one Maiden to another. If it left Ironwood scratching his head and wondering whether she was alive or dead...well. All the better. Head held high, she turned and stalked back towards Raven's portal, then through it. The gate closed a minute later, leaving not a trace of her presence.

She would remember Freya's words. No one would touch her family.

_None_ would hurt Naruto. If they dared?

_She would see them burn._

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

_"Mother?"_

_The fear was gone._

_Willow couldn't feel it. Not at all._

_She wondered where it must have gone._

_Oh. Wait. Something had replaced it. She knew this feeling._

_Her eyes snapped open, burning with an angry fire she had felt once before._

_She pushed herself upright, and so too did a soft snarl push its way past her now-pale lips._

_**"Tell me where he is."** she demanded of her daughter. **"Tell me where that weaselly, wretched little bastard is hiding."**_

* * *

_(.0.0.0.)_

* * *

_Jacques Schnee awoke and find himself shackled to a wall._

Alarm set in at once and he immediately began to struggle, as any sane individual would when finding themselves in such a situation. But the wall was solid stone and the chains that bound him painfully rough. He rubbed his wrists raw within seconds. A whimper of distress echoed into the darkened cell beyond. Someone had divested him of everything beyond a pair of black boxers. Gone was his fancy suit, his watch and scroll, even his precious clip on tie had been torn away from him.

Were that the end of it, the man might have felt some semblance of confidence in his situation.

Chains could be broken, after all. Locks could be picked.

No, it was the shadows beyond his cell that terrified Jacques so. He had been left in a world of complete darkness, with not even so much as a torch for illumination. He feared the dark; for it was in the darkness that true monsters were born. Only the faint glowing stones of his cell offered him any real hope of light and even that only served to highlight the absence of it beyond the bars.

What he saw beyond terrified him; for a pair of glowing red eyes regarded him from the darkness.

They were not human. His heart skipped a beat. A whimper forced itself from his lips.

**"Now, now. A Schnee does not cry, dear Jacques."** someone crooned just out of sight.** "A Schnee does not whimper, Jacques."** the faint click of heels against stone drew closer, causing his heart to race anew. **"A Schnee does not hate, Jacques. You should know better."**

"What is the meaning of this?!" he snarled into the shadows. "Release me at once!"

**"Meaning?"** a light, lilting laugh greeted him.** "There is no meaning here. And no, I think not. You've given your last order."**

**"What," **he swallowed his fear and tried not to stutter the words, **"What do you want with me?"**

More laughter. **"What do I want? Vengeance. Pure and simple."**

Vengeance? Had he been captured by the White Fang? His memory was a mess of twisting corridors and shadows. He remembered being struck by the little upstarts. Hands of shadows dragging him down into a pit. When he tried to reach for the rest, his thoughts slipped through his fingers. Fear bubbled up in its place, fracturing his already fragile resolve. Anger threatened to burn through that entirely. They couldn't do this to him! He was Jacques Schnee! The world bowed to him! He would not be treated like this! He would not be held for ransom! They would rue they day they crossed him!

"Who are you?!" he snarled. "Only cowards hide in the shadows!"

Their laughter became an outright giggle, a delighted noise that seemed to stretch on forever. It bounded off the walls. The floor. The ceiling. It echoed long and loud in his ears, growing louder with each passing moment, ringing like a clarion bell.

**"Cowards? How rich, coming from the biggest coward of them all."**

"SHOW YOURSELF!"

Finally, the laughter trailed off in a soft purr.

**"As you wish."** They stepped into the light and revealed themselves.** "Do you recognize me now, dear husband?"**

"Willow...?"

It was his wife, and yet not his wife. The last he'd seen of her she was a withered and emaciated thing; a broken woman trying to drink herself into a early grave. That or starve herself to death. A stranger stood in her place, a familiar stranger perhaps, but a stranger nonetheless. He recognized the shape of her face and her voice, but little more. She looked younger, stronger, her chin held high with confidence. Just as she had been in her youth. Before he'd beaten the bravery out of her.

But now she was Changed.

Those bright blue eyes were burning rubies in the dark, fixed firmly on him. Her already pale skin had gone ghost white, rimming with red veins. Her once conservative braid hair was freed from its tight braid to frame her face like a curtain of freshly fallen ashen snow. A pair of pale horns curled behind her head, forming a ghastly caricature of a crown. Gone were the colors of the Schnee family. She had forsaken them for a black-and-white combat dress with a deep, plunging neckline and a single circular belt looped around her waist.

She looked more a monster than a huntress, more alive than she'd ever been. He had a feeling it would bode poorly for him.

"W-What're you doing woman?! Release me-

**"All those years."** she spoke over him, voice cracking with power. **"More than a decade of misery at your hands.**" the soft click of her heels filled the room anew as she came to the bars. **"Do you remember what you said to me? Do you remember the pain you caused me? Do you even care?"**

A key slotted into the lock, and with a ponderous groan, the door to his cell opened.

Willow Schnee strode through. His confidence made one last stand.

"You WILL let me go, or you will RUE the day-

Sharp nails -claws!- cracked across his face, obliterating his right eye.

Jacques screamed as half his world darkened forevermore. He shrieked and spat and swore until he'd gone hoarse. He thrashed and kicked and bucked against his chains, yet still they held. In the end he was left to slump against them, defeated and spent. A hand closed around his hair, yanking him upright. Tears dribbled from his remaining eye. Clawed nails pushed against it in dire warning.

**"You do not command me."** the monster that had once been his wife crooned at him. **"Try to do so again, and I will take another piece of you."**

He nodded. Oh, it burned to do so. But he could hurt her in other ways.

"Is this what you've fallen to, woman?" a cruel smile twisted his lips. "You've made yourself a monster."

**"And?"** Hers did not falter. **"Sometimes it takes a monster to kill a monster."**

"Ah," he cocked a pallid brow. "But whatever will the children think?"

Heart at last, her smile dimmed.

_"Not much." _

Jacques turned his head as a fresh set of footfalls echoed in the dungeon. Faint torchlight approached, and soon enough it beheld the one bearing it. He squinted, and sure enough, a familiar face stared back at him from the gloom. His remaining eye bulged, even as the other continued to weep bloody tears. Anger mounted, fitful fury sparking back to life in him. It was the blasted boy from before; the one who had captured him. Perhaps a bit dirtier, and a great deal angrier, but there could be no forgetting his face. His eyes burned like twin cobalt diamonds.

"You!"

"Me." the blond terror smacked his lips and held the torch higher, casting shifting shadows across his face.

"So this is where you went." he turned to face Willow with a sigh. "Winter was worried. Didn't she tell you not to lose yourself?"

**"Do not think to take this from me, boy." **Willow snarled at him, baring her teeth in an angry rictus of a grin.** "He is mine. I will have my vengeance."**

"Careful now. You may be new here, but like I said. _Don't. Lose. Yourself."_

Golden hair bleached itself white as his face turned ashen, wild black veins pushing up fro his whiskered visage. Sapphire eyes shimmered into scarlet, bringing with it a rush of_ pressure._ The torch in his hand guttered out and for a moment Jacques glimpsed a monster in the dark. A horrible creature with nine tails. He nearly foamed at mouth. Two of them. There were more?! Jacques wanted to cry. Oh gods. He was going to die down here, wasn't he...?

Willow saw it, too; because she instantly stepped back.** "What are you...?"**

"Just a kid." Naruto hummed. "No one special."

Jacques had his doubts about that. This...thing was undoubtedly younger than Willow, yet his scowl put the older woman in her place all the same. Abruptly, the killing intent abated and the torch roared back to life. When it did, there was not a sign of the monster the boy had been. He was undoubtedly human again. At least he appeared to be. There wasn't so much as a hint of what he'd been before. Ashen hair was blond once more, his tan skin full of life and light, blue eyes bright and blue and happy, as a teen's should be.

_Monsters!_ His mind gibbered! _This tower is filled with monsters!_ The world was doomed. He was merely the first victim, the first of many...!

It was too much. Jacques lost what little control he had over his stomach and retched upon the floor, wasted and gaping for air.

"I won't breathe a word of this to anyone." Naruto patted Willow's shoulder. "Do what you have to."

With a whistle and a jaunty tune, he walked back the way he'd come the dark, only to pause.

"I'm really not one for killing people, much less torture, you know?" a red eye peered over his shoulder as he intoned the words. "But given what you've done, what've I've heard of you...I think you deserve this. You were a cruel man, Jacques Schnee. You're going to die a powerless one. Alone. Forgotten. How does it feel?"

Jacques choked as his tormentor sauntered up the steps. "Uncouth little...!

**"That's right. Winter, Weiss, and Whitley are beyond your reach."** Willow's smile returned in force. **"Our youngest is sound asleep upstairs...and I will not let the girls see what happens to you. They will not know this side of me. Perhaps that is for the best. I have no need to be gentle with you." **her brow creased.** "Certainly not afer the stunt you just pulled."**

Jacques gulped. Willow saw it and pounced.

**"Is this what it feels like to be in control?"** she tittered softly, hiding her smile behind the other palm.** "I must confess, I rather like it."**

He bristled and tore his head out of her grasp. Willow's hand lashed out immediately, catching him by the chin.

**"Such a tragic accident you had, dying in that fire."** she cooed, caressing his cheek as though to mourn his passing. _While he was still here!_ **"They never found your body. As your wife, SDC will return to me of course. I'll be sure to run it fairly."** a pause as she tilted her head. **"Or perhaps I'll run it into the ground just to spite you. I've not decided yet."**

Once, the thought might have burned him. Now? He just wanted to get away. "Now, lets not do anything we might regret. "I'm sure we can talk abou-gack!"

He chocked as her fingers slipped down and squeezed his throat.

**"Regret?"** Her bright eyes burned brighter still. **"You have no say in the matter."**

Was this to be his end? It couldn't be. It just couldn't. He was the most powerful man on Remnant. "You've...gone mad."

Her claws came out again, carving into his nose like a turkey.

**"Mad? No, I'm quite sane. ****I was terrified of this, you know?"** she hummed, uncaring of the high cries that followed. **"When Winter poured that foul concoction down my throat, I thought I was going to die. But I survived. I will _continue_ to survive.**" she leaned forward, pressing her head to his, nose brushing his own. **"I will reconnect with my daughters, and my son. I will live. I will find love again, if only to spite you." **a faint smile creased her lips. **"And I know just where to start."**

She stepped back, but only to savor the moment.

**"And you, Jacques Gele...**

An exhalation.

**"Well! Actions speak louder than words, no? I believe we have some catching up to do."** Willow advanced on him, smile sharp and eyes gone red.** "Thirteen years of misery, Jacques. That's four thousand, seven hundred and forty-five days of suffering."** Her smile turned cruel. **"I do hope you haven't lost count."** The rasp of drawn steel filled the room. Too late, Jacques saw the holster at her belt, beheld the deadly serrated edge of a knife glimmering in the faint light. He also saw the lightning dust shimmering across its tip. **"Because you're about to remember every...single...one...**

_His screams echoed long and loud into the night._

**A/N: Ahoy there, dear reader! Read this, please! LEST YE BE TERRIBLY CONFUSED!**

**Well, Mama Willow got her vengeance.**

**Next, we'll be seeing a timeskip for all parties as of next chapter, and a rather hefty one at that. I won't say how long, but it is...substantial. I though it best to say that; because if I didn't, then the special previews below would've left many of you confused. Don't want that now, do we?**

**First off...did you like it? By all means, let me know~!**

**This wasn't really a Naruto-centric chapter, but it came out pretty **

**Salem's got a kid on the way. Spoiler. Its gonna be a girl. Of course, I'm open to name suggestions for the little tyke. By all means. Surprise me.**

**And ****in a rather amusing reversal, Cinder wants to keep Naruto safe in this story. Of course she does. She's older than him and she's seen how cruel Remnant can be. ****Her past really is playing into a lot of things these days. Everyone seems to be writing stories for her. Poor thing. She really did get the short end of the stick when it comes to awful pasts.**

**Now then, back to the tower we go; where more surprise**

**Soooooo in the Immortal Words of Atlas...****Review, Would You Kindly?**

**Reviews keeps this sickly man alive. Without them, I'll just vanish into the void. Poof. Gone.**

**So here, have some preview while I rest and recover. Writing/updating this rapidly really takes a lot out of me...**

**Yes, yes, I know about Ilia. Make of her what you will~!**

**(Previews)**

_"Quite alright, dears. Polygamy used to be all the rage, or so I've been told."_

_Winter and Weiss sputtered. "MOTHER!"_

* * *

_Mercury shook his head. "And another girl joins the harem. Lucky bastard..._

_Naruto sputtered. "What? I don't have a harem!"_

_"ARE YOU BLIND?!"_

* * *

_"Ilia...why are on my back?"_

_"Warm. Comfy. Shut up and let me sleep, stupid."_

* * *

_Naruto slammed a fist into the air. "HA! I finally beat you!"_

* * *

_"Its a Schnee! Shoot her!"_

_"Boys, you really don't want to do this."_

_The leader didn't listen. Nope. Of course not. "MASKS!"_

_"Alright." Weiss smiled as she regarded the terrorist. It was all teeth. "Have it your way. Mask!"_

_Somewhere deep inside her soul, Venom absolutely cackled.** "Copy."**_

_Darkness boiled over her body from head to toe._

_Her foes shrieked. __"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?!"_

* * *

_...why is there a battleship on our doorstep?"_

* * *

_"They are the ENEMY, Ozpin!"_

_The headmaster raised a mug to his lips. "Are they, James? Are they really?"_

* * *

_"Huh. Neat." Naruto blinked. __"Oh. Alright. I'm gonna be a big brother. That's cooooo..._

_Yang grinned. "Alright, kitty-kat. Told you he would faint. I win the bet. Pay up."_

_Blake slapped a wad of lien into her hand._

**R&R~!**


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